a method of analyzing an interface by the standard principles of usability. For questions regarding whether to conduct a usability study or how to best go about testing.
8
votes
2answers
144 views
How should I user test teenagers? (Under 18)
I'm currently working as a UX design intern at an organization that revolves around motivating teenagers. One of my big projects for the summer is to help my supervisor get our user testing program ...
1
vote
3answers
464 views
What makes Silverback a usability program? [closed]
I can't get any reply from Clearleft, so I will ask here.
What makes Silverback a usability program? I mean, it records audio and video, from webcam and desktop. Like many others.
Does it show how ...
1
vote
4answers
95 views
Choosing which mobile devices to use for usability testing
When performing usability tests on mobile devices the results are influenced by the devices tested on. For example different sizes, OS-versions, resolution etc. To conduct a thorough test it is ...
1
vote
2answers
47 views
How to indicate to visitors that they are using a test environment?
We often release a test version of our web service to a select group of customers. This version of the web service normally has a few bugs and anomalies (database being reset every day) and we would ...
4
votes
4answers
386 views
Has anyone usability tested (handwritten) email before?
I was just reading this article: How to send and reply to email. It's basically about the user interface and user experience of email. There are many good tips, but unfortunately the article doesn't ...
5
votes
1answer
54 views
Comparing the WAMMI and SUS scales
From doing a lot of research about standardized measurement for usability, I came across the WAMMI questionnaire which looks at a few of the factors in usability that goes into more detail than the ...
6
votes
2answers
116 views
How to use paper prototyping on an existing product
Paper prototyping is a very powerful tool early on in a new product build as it helps you to iron out ux and rapidly iterate.
However if you're working on an existing product and want to test small ...
1
vote
2answers
334 views
Where can I find existing System Usability Scale (SUS) results to compare against?
I'm looking for a resource of existing System Usability Scale (SUS) study results to compare against.
I've read in a few papers/webpages that plenty of such data is available, unfortunately I can't ...
4
votes
3answers
146 views
Cameras for Paper Prototyping
I help manage a small usability lab. One of the things we're trying to is to record paper prototyping sessions - with a user sitting at a table and a camera directly overhead (from a height of about ...
3
votes
2answers
57 views
In usability testing, what consensus from users is enough to throw out an idea in future iterations?
I am in the midst of adding about 100 images to one of my current projects after completing a round of usability testing on a low/medium fidelity prototype yesterday. I included ideas for 4 pages in ...
4
votes
3answers
716 views
How to A/B test a published IOS and Android app on actual users?
I've published several apps on IOS and Android adding flurry to measure the interaction that is happening in those apps, however, I'd love to enhance this interaction and make my apps more useful by ...
6
votes
4answers
142 views
Conveying that usability problems exist to developers, cheaply!
I'm a developer transitioning towards design/usability.
I'm giving a talk to the devs at my workplace on design basics and guidelines with a little sneaky UX teaching on the side.
My goal is to work ...
2
votes
2answers
120 views
Would doing freelance usability testing help me learn more about UX?
I am looking into joining the following services:
UserFeel - (http://www.userfeel.com/)
Analysia - (http://www.analysia.com/Index.asp)
I want to make some income on the side while looking for more ...
3
votes
3answers
113 views
Brief and effective way to present usability study results
I am looking for a great template to create usability study results document without putting anyone to sleep. I have created plenty of them before but would like to see if there is something better ...
13
votes
6answers
283 views
Should usability testing of a competitor's website be a part of your usability testing routine?
I was reading up on best practices on usability testing for websites and a recommendation was that get your participants to do usability testing on your competitors website as well as that would help ...
13
votes
6answers
228 views
How to test user in real situation?
What material and method could I use to record a usability test in real situation?
I have to test some single user of an interface at their office desk, as they normally use it, without constraining ...
11
votes
5answers
171 views
Production Reaction Cards - too many?
Microsoft Production Reaction Cards (doc)
The set includes 118 words which presumably you would reorganise, format and print off as individual "cards". I've never used them but I do see how the tool ...
13
votes
13answers
251 views
Ideal number of candidates for user-testing
I'm creating a draft proposal for some user testing involving several quite basic wireframe prototypes. How many participants would people recommend for this type of exercise?
The intention would be ...
9
votes
7answers
237 views
How to test usability on competing mock ups cost-effectively?
I have a client that is very opinionated about what she likes and dislikes about my design and moves things around to where they "look right" for her. I want to test my original mock-ups vs her ...
9
votes
2answers
464 views
When Did Usability Testing Start?
I've been doing some research on the history of usability testing. What I've found out is that it has been done at least since 1981 at Xerox(based on unreliable source of Wikipedia). Can anyone ...
10
votes
4answers
329 views
How can we communicate that UX work can't be done by just anyone?
About 2 years ago, I asked about a good usability/UX elevator pitch, so I can quickly explain what UX is whenever I need.
But, to this date, I still can't get over one little issue: lots of people ...
10
votes
4answers
303 views
Form Design: Mutually Exclusive Tabs vs. One Form
I am working on a form design that currently has two mutually exclusive forms accessible via tabs (Option 1). During usability testing my team noticed that users missed the tabs and only noticed them ...
3
votes
1answer
90 views
What is the standard / benchmark test for user familiarity or proficiency with computer technology?
When conducting usability testing, a variable that comes up is the competence or familiarity of different users with Internet or software application technology. It seems strange to compare different ...
1
vote
2answers
84 views
List of statements which can be used to measure the value proposition of a website
I'm looking for a list of statements that can be used to measure the value proposition of a website.
For example:
The site is intuitive and easy to navigate.
The site's content is well structured ...
3
votes
1answer
42 views
What sort of tasks should be included in a lab test to determine baseline for a user?
I'm starting some lab testing and I'm an on-the-job trained UXer and have watched a decent number of tests, but haven't constructed a lot on my own.
When doing a more formal test and not a guerrilla ...
1
vote
1answer
71 views
Installing recording software
On an upcoming visit to a user's place of work, I would like to have them install Morae Recorder beforehand. This is likely to be a problem for the user's IT Security people. In the past, especially ...
1
vote
2answers
261 views
Usability assesment methods for cross-platform mobile applications
I am new to usability testing.
I want to do a usability study comparing multiple mobile applications that are made using different technologies - for example native, phonegap, appcelerator, etc.
...
9
votes
3answers
329 views
Recording Debit/Credit Card Details at the start of a 'Free Trial'?
Does anyone have experience, analytics or similar on the impact of taking payment details at the start of a free trial period for a product?
It's one of the things I hate the most about trialing ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
Formative and Summative Usability Testing
I bumped into this document and it suggests the use of (a) Formative and (b) Summative Usability Testing.
To be honest, is the first time that I bumped into this kind of terminology, and I while ...
4
votes
4answers
123 views
How do you determine the order of tasks in a usability test?
How do you determine the order of tasks in a usability test? Do you for example avoid putting tasks with similar paths one after another?
10
votes
4answers
169 views
Is it necessary to involve the user from the beginning of the software engineering process if we want to emphasize usability?
I have questions about usability.
Is it necessary to involve the user from the beginning of the software engineering process if we want to emphasize usability?
Also, I read this previous question ...
4
votes
1answer
115 views
A/B Testing Home Page of an Ecommerce Site
I am very new to any sort of website testing (please be gentle!), and I have some questions (mostly just for my own understanding) about A/B testing an ecommerce site's home page.
The company I work ...
4
votes
4answers
296 views
How many users must be tested when doing usability, and why?
Please provide empirical data.
Just to be clear, I will not accept Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox, March 19, 2000: Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users without solid empirical data to back it up. I find ...
3
votes
3answers
101 views
When user testing, how important are representative users?
I work at a company where we design software that, in most cases, is targeted at leasing agents in the multi-family housing industry, a very specific group of people.
When I want to go about testing ...
-2
votes
1answer
40 views
Auto opening applications on OS load [closed]
Something really irks me about Spotify. When you install their application, they chose to have the application auto open when you first load your operating system. It's an opt out scenario, where ...
1
vote
0answers
26 views
What is the best way to record a user lab that includes multiple devices? [duplicate]
I have always used porgrammes such as Morae or Silverback to record user labs, but I'd like to test different breakpoints on a responsive site using actual devices. How do I record tests on tablets ...
5
votes
1answer
249 views
What is a good tool for mouse tracking? [closed]
I would like to be able to track user activity on an HTML page.
What I want to achieve is the following, a breakdown of user activity per page, and a total time spent on the entire flow.
The ...
3
votes
6answers
162 views
What's the best way to conduct user research at a trade show?
I've tried a couple of times to perform usability studies at an industry-specific trade show, and it's been largely awkward. In my experience, people are milling around and love to chat, but don't ...
13
votes
4answers
171 views
What methods do you use to test the usability of an API?
Testing the usability of a programming interface poses a lot of challenges. It has a very different feel than testing a graphical interaction. The user can do almost anything at any time, as opposed ...
3
votes
4answers
713 views
Why is embedded help not popular?
I'm wondering why modern help systems are more passive than active? For example, each good guide through something look like this:
So why we don't see this directly on website (service provider), ...
2
votes
1answer
56 views
Anyone experienced tree testing of multilingual website?
I work in a multilingual region, like many of us. My clients' websites are multilingual (often, there's a main language and sub-languages). When I perform a tree test on their structure, is it enough ...
5
votes
3answers
265 views
Responsive mobile testing - Is resizing the desktop browser adequate?
Other than touch events, is there any appreciable difference between testing a responsive design by resizing a desktop browser and testing it on a mobile device? There are a plethora of mobile devices ...
6
votes
3answers
104 views
When to end usability test task
I was wondering: if participant thinks he has found the solution to a task, do you end the task even if the solution is the wrong one? Eg. you task the participant to find some information, but he ...
21
votes
1answer
398 views
Are activity alerts effective? example: 5 people are viewing this hotel right now
For example, Expedia (and other hotel sites) have alerts that come and go that say things such as, "17 people have booked this hotel this week." Is there any documentation out there concerning this ...
4
votes
8answers
601 views
Any resources on user interface testing? [closed]
I'm not a user interface designer, but I test UI programs. Any pointers to things that user interface testers should know/consider when they test UI?
6
votes
1answer
180 views
A/B testing a site with low traffic
I've always been very interested in A/B testing, but have never had the opportunity to implement it on any websites.
I work at a digital agency where the main reason why we haven't been able to ...
10
votes
5answers
274 views
What do you wish you had known before your first ever user evaluation workshop?
What have you learned from the process of testing prototypes / products with users that you wish you had known before you went into your first workshop? Pitfalls, freak-out moments etc?
0
votes
2answers
97 views
What are good online resources for testing designs of an IPhone app? [closed]
I am looking for a tool/website that I can use to test my IPhone designs on my current users, I'd like this tool/website to upload my new designs and have a dedicated link where I can share it with my ...
2
votes
2answers
388 views
How to user test a redesign?
In some website projects, you are testing whether users can complete specific functionality. For example, with a shopping cart I can measure the percentage of users that complete checkout, the amount ...
0
votes
1answer
121 views
Mouse heatmaps in desktop applications [closed]
Do you any good software that can create mouse move/click/right click heatmaps in a desktop application like a game, office suite etc.? Preferably including key detection, heatmap image saving etc. I ...
