How to test with children - based on a few catastrophes and many (sweet) monsters - our team shared their experience in testing usability and playability with kids 3-12 years old for numerous projects (speach at Polish IA Summit 2012)

1. How to test with children?
based on a few catastrophes and many (sweet) monsters
Iga Mościchowska
Barbara Rogoś
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2. WHY TESTING WITH CHILDREN IS DIFFERENT?
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3. Children’s behaviour is extreme
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4. Kids are honest… to the bone
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5. Looks like for babies,
too childish.
I no longer participate in such
webpages, I have time.
Too many animations, it stops
pointlessly all the time.

7. 7
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Older kids are eager to take challenges

8. They cooperate willingly (also with moderator)
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9. HOW TO PREVENT CATASTROPHES?
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10. Make sure the research lab
is cosy and attractive
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11. Don’t go overboard
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12. Eliminate all the threats
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13. Arrange a waiting room
(fairy tales, coloring books (!))
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14. An example of kid’s creation
– a screen from a tested game
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15. Separate siblings, if possible
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16. Choose the children carefully
in terms of experience with computer
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17. Explain the situation and show the lab to the parent
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18. Connect with both the parent and the child
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19. Start with a safe topic
(favourite story, game, class etc.)
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20. Sweets for breaking the ice
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21. 21
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Choose a drink/snack with
little potential of disaster

22. Before and after – never during the test
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23. Don’t say „test”, „research”, „study”
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24. The maximum time is
1 hour meeting, but
aim for 30-40 minutes
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25. Co-discovery learning method
25

26. Co-discovery learning method with parents
26

27. Create a hardly structured
scenario…
27
http://www.flickr.com/photos/arttue/4478733612

28. 28
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… and a special tool for measuring satisfaction


29. Choose your phrases carefully
29
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/2405124325

30. Allow an easy help from moderator or
resigning the task completely
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31. 31
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Have some picklocks ready… contact@witflow.com

32. … and a plan B

33. Make sure the chair is matched to the child’s height
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34. 34 +48 530 837 629
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Ask more questions (about
understanding the phrases)
edit
understood as
eliminate

35. If it doesn’t work, focus on observations
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36. Expressive reactions tell you more than words
36

37. Be ready for any
catastrophy, because
kids are unpredictable ;)
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38. ie. traumatic communication problems
and other unexpected twists
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39. Contact the parents a day after the test
to get additional feedback
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40. Questions?
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Credit by: Simmbarb contact@witflow.com

41. ux & usability studio
 www.witflow.com
 im@witflow.com
br@witflow.com
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