Moderating Usability Tests

Initial contacts

Chapter

5

51

You never get a second chance to make a good fi rst impression,

right? In this chapter we discuss the critical time before the test starts,

when you have the chance to make a great fi rst impression, establish

rapport with participants, and put them at ease. You can avoid many

problems during the test by taking the time to set the tone, establish

the “ground rules” (including how you will interact with partici-

pants), and set their expectations for what will happen during the

session.

In this chapter we focus on interaction with participants at three

points of contact:

■ during recruiting

■ when they arrive

■ during the ...