Usability Testing Essentials

Usability Testing Essentials provides readers with the tools and techniques needed to begin usability testing or to advance their knowledge in this area.
The book begins by presenting the essentials of usability testing, which include focusing on the user and not the product; knowing when to conduct small or large studies; and thinking of usability as hill climbing. It then reviews testing options and places usability testing into the context of a user-centered design (UCD). It goes on to discuss the planning, preparation, and implementation of a usability test. The remaining chapters cover the analysis and reporting of usability test findings, and the unique aspects of international usability testing.
This book will be useful to anyone else involved in the development or support of any type of product, such as software or web developers, engineers, interaction designers, information architects, technical communicators, visual or graphic designers, trainers, user-assistance specialists, and instructional technologists.

- Provides a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to usability testing, a crucial part of every product's development

- The fully updated four-color edition now features important usability issues such as international testing, persona creation, remote testing, and accessibility

- Follow-up to Usability Testing and Research (9780205315192, Longman, 2001), winner of the highest-level award from the Society for Technical Communication

1;Front cover;1 2;Usability Testing Essentials;6 3;Copyright page;7 4;Contents;10 5;Foreword;16 6;Acknowledgments;18 7;About the author;20 8;Image credits and permissions;22 9;Introduction: Getting started guide;24 9.1;Usability is invisible;24 9.2;U R usability;26 9.3;How to use this book;26 9.4;But wait, there's more on the companion website;30 10;Chapter 1 Establishing the essentials;32 10.1;Focus on the user, not the product;33 10.2;Start with some essential definitions;33 10.3;Know when to conduct small studies;40 10.4;Know how to conduct small studies;41 10.5;Know when to conduct large studies;43 10.6;Think of usability testing as hill climbing;44 11;Chapter 2 Testing here, there, everywhere;48 11.1;Testing in a lab offers some benefits;49 11.2;Formal labs can cost a lot, or not;57 11.3;Informal labs can be set up anywhere at very little cost;60 11.4;Field testing gets you into the world of your users;61 11.5;Remote testing extends your reach to your users;64 11.6;Choosing the right method is a balancing act;71 12;Chapter 3 Big U and little u usability;76 12.1;Introducing big U and little u usability;76 12.2;Using a user-centered design process;77 12.3;Opening your toolkit and seeing what's there;79 12.4;Choosing heuristic evaluation from the toolkit;82 12.5;Conducting a heuristic evaluation;84 12.6;Comparing the results from heuristic evaluation and usability testing;89 12.7;Putting both methods together: The 12 punch;91 12.8;Cost-justifying usability;92 12.9;Case Study: Heuristic evaluation of Holiday Inn China website;95 13;Chapter 4 Understanding users and their goals;106 13.1;People are goal-oriented;107 13.2;When people use the web, they bring their experience and expectations;108 13.3;Personas help you get to know your users;117 13.4;Scenarios tell the story of your users' goals;122 14;Chapter 5 Planning for usability testing;128 14.1;Scheduling the planning meeting;129 14.2;Writing the test plan;165 14.3;Case Study: Test plan for Holiday Inn China webs
ite usability study;171 15;Chapter 6 Preparing for usability testing;180 15.1;Recruiting participants;181 15.2;Assigning team roles and responsibilities;185 15.3;Developing team checklists;186 15.4;Writing the moderator's script;190 15.5;Preparing or using other forms;193 15.6;Creating questionnaires;196 15.7;Using standard post-test questionnaires;204 15.8;Creating or using qualitative feedback methods;208 15.9;Testing the test;211 15.10;Case Study: Sample test materials for Holiday Inn China website usability study;216 16;Chapter 7 Conducting a usability test;222 16.1;Setting up for testing;223 16.2;Meeting, greeting, briefing;223 16.3;Being an effective and unbiased moderator;230 16.4;Managing variations on the theme of testing;241 16.5;Providing help or customer support during testing;246 16.6;Logging observations;248 16.7;Handling observers and visitors;249 16.8;Working solo;253 16.9;Case Study: Session log from Holiday Inn China website usability study;257 17;Chapter 8 Analyzing the findings;262 17.1;What did we see?;263 17.2;What does it mean?;272 17.3;What should we do about it?;282 17.4;Case Study: Findings analysis from Holiday Inn China website usability study;293 18;Chapter 9 Reporting the findings;300 18.1;Following Aristotle's advice;302 18.2;Preparing the message for the medium;302 18.3;Writing an informal memo report;303 18.4;Writing a formal report;306 18.5;Presenting the findings;312 18.6;Presenting post-task and post-test results;323 18.7;Making recommendations;327 18.8;Presenting an oral report;330 18.9;Advocating for more UCD;335 18.10;Case Study: Report of Holiday Inn China website usability study;338 19;Chapter 10 International usability testing;342 19.1;Learning about your international users;343 19.2;Understanding cultural differences;347 19.3;Applying the work of Hall and Hofstede to understand international users;354 19.4;Planning for international testing;357 19.5;Structuring the test protocol;365 19.6;Selecting the moderator;369 19.7;Ant
icipating other aspects of international testing;371 19.8;Case Study: Analysis of the UPS Costa Rican website;376 20;References;378 21;Index;390 21.1;A;390 21.2;B;390 21.3;C;391 21.4;D;392 21.5;E;392 21.6;F;393 21.7;G;394 21.8;H;394 21.9;I;394 21.10;J;396 21.11;K;396 21.12;L;396 21.13;M;396 21.14;N;397 21.15;O;397 21.16;P;398 21.17;Q;399 21.18;R;400 21.19;S;401 21.20;T;403 21.21;U;404 21.22;V;405 21.23;W;405 21.24;Y;405