Conducting a Usability Testing Session
Introduction
This topic contains information on conducting a usability test session.
General guidelines for conducting a session
The following guidelines should be adhered to when conducting usability testing with users:
- Keep the session neutral.
- Treat each participant as a completely new case.
- Assist the participants only as a last resort.
- Help participants to relax.
- Use the 'thinking aloud' technique.
- Be aware of the effects of your voice and body language.
- If you make a mistake, keep going on.
Keep the session neutral
Take the attitude that you have no vested interest in the results of the test one way or the other. Do not indicate through your speech or mannerisms that you strongly approve or disapprove of any actions or comments offered by a particular participant.
Encourage participants to focus on their own experiences and not to be concerned with what other people of similar characteristics might hypothetically think or need.
Treat each participant as a completely new case
Treat each participant as a completely new case, regardless of background of the participant and what previous results and sessions have shown.
Try to collect data without undue interpretation.
Assist the participants only as a last resort
The tendency to rescue is due to our natural empathy and even embarrassment when watching someone struggle.
Assist the participants only as a last resort. If you assist the participant, you may lose the opportunity to understand what happens when people get lost and how they recover.
Help participants to relax
Humour can counteract participants' self-consciousness and help them to relax. Indicate to the participants that there is no right or wrong response. If participants are having fun, they are more apt to let their defences down and tell you what is really on their mind.
Use the 'thinking aloud' technique
'Thinking aloud' is a simple technique intended to capture what the participants are thinking while working with interactive software.
To use this technique, have the participants provide a running commentary of their thought process by thinking aloud while performing the tasks of the usability test.
Be aware of the effects of your voice and body language
It is very easy to unintentionally influence someone by the way in which you react to the person's statements, both verbally and through body language.
To prevent any bias effects, make a special effort to be mindful of your voice and body language.
If you make a mistake, keep going on
Do not panic if you inadvertently reveal information or in some other way bias the session of a usability test.
Just continue on as if nothing happened. At best, the participant will not even observe your comment or action.
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