Observing the User Experience, 2nd Edition

Chapter 11

Usability Tests

Usability tests are structured interviews focused on specific features in an interface prototype. A one-on-one usability test can quickly reveal an immense amount of information about how people use a prototype, whether functional, mockup, or just paper. The heart of the interview is a series of tasks performed by the interface’s evaluator (typically, a person who resembles the product’s imagined audience). Researchers analyze recordings and notes from the interview for the evaluator’s successes, misunderstandings, mistakes, and opinions. After a number of these tests, researchers compare the observations, collecting the most common issues into a list of functionality and presentation problems.

Using usability tests, ...