You’ve built a shiny, new WordPress site. You asked your co-worker and your boss if they like it and they both do. However, you’re lying awake at night wondering if you’re missing something—because you know you’re not the end user. You yearn for actionable feedback. In this talk, I’ll distill my background in usability research into a how-to framework for taking your site and conducting your first unmoderated usability test. I’ll cover why and when you should be running usability tests; how to set research goals and draft a script for them; setting up your lab environment and capturing feedback; and best practices for facilitation, minimizing bias, keeping users on task and gleaning the most from each brief test.

1. Organizing Your First
Website Usability Test
WordCamp Toronto 2016 • #WCTO16 • @anthonydpaul

2. Why do we conduct
usability tests?

3. usability test
user test

5. Our instinct is to imagine someone like ourselves.
Most of our users are nothing like us in any way.
via Eric Meyer’s WC Northeast Ohio 2016 Keynote
http://wordpress.tv/2016/06/24/eric-a-meyer-design-for-real-life/
user focus = best practice

6. Who we test with defines who we care about.
i.e., Accessibility, real-world “Stress Cases”
via Eric Meyer’s WC Northeast Ohio 2016 Keynote
http://wordpress.tv/2016/06/24/eric-a-meyer-design-for-real-life/
user focus = best practice

7. why test
1. Validate our assumptions (debunk stereotypes)
2. Inform our design decisions (to debate the team)
3. Show success over time
4. Grow as a practitioner (e.g., hamburger icon)

8. But I’m not a researcher
Where do I start?

9. Anthony D Paul
Director of User Experience
@anthonydpaul

10. what you need
Project Goal A reason to test, to be translated
into research goals
Test Strategy When to test and what type of test(s)
Prototype Or, other artifact
Test Facility Hardware, software, or physical space
Participants Demographics, if relevant

11. Project Goal(s)
Why are we even working on this project?

12. goals come in all shapes and sizes
University Prospects to easily find degree info
e-Store Reduce shopping cart abandonment
Non-Profit Drive donations

13. goals shouldn’t be prescriptive
Good Allow visitors to quickly find
specific degree program(s) of interest.
Bad List all degree options on the homepage.

14. ok to have multiple goals (but prioritize)
1. Communicate the school brand and
a positive student experience.
2. Allow prospects to quickly determine if the
school has their program(s) of interest.
3. Drive prospects toward contacting the school
to inquire about a program and its cost.

15. Test Strategy
What tests should we run and when?

16. Project Constraints
+
Hairiest Problems (priorities)
=
Maximum Benefit .

17. project constraints (type)
What’s our test budget?
How many sets of tests can we run? (usually 8–12 ppl per)
Who’s in charge of recruitment?
Do we have demographic requirements?
Are participants local?

18. focus on hairiest problems (when)
Too much content. (early)
Test info architecture or interactive menu concepts.
vs.
Brand perception is important. (late)
Test design concepts, photography, and copywriting.

19. testing options
Moderated vs. Unmoderated
In-person vs. Remote
Desktop vs. Mobile
Assistive Devices (accessibility)

20. Example Time
University

21. constraints hairiest problems
1 test round (8–12 ppl)
Participants not local
Automated recruitment
Use online system(s),
unmoderated

22. constraints hairiest problems
1 test round (8–12 ppl)
Participants not local
Automated recruitment
Too much content;
hard to find things
Use online system(s),
unmoderated
Test early prototype,
perhaps wireframes

23. decision, for starters
Use online system(s),
unmoderated
Test early prototype,
perhaps wireframes
Use TryMyUI for
recruitment, facilitation,
and recording
Use InVision to
assemble prototype with
designs or wireframes

24. InVisionApp.com

25. InVisionApp.com

26. InVisionApp.com

27. Test Script
Project goals to user tasks

28. goals
1. Communicate the school brand and
a positive student experience.
2. Allow prospects to quickly determine if the
school has their program(s) of interest.
3. Drive prospects toward contacting the school
to inquire about a program and its cost.

29. goals ~> research questions
1. Can users find the main menu?
2. Do users understand how the menu works?
3. Does the program finder behave as expected?
4. Can users find specific details about a program?

30. goals ~> research questions ~> tasks
1. Without clicking on anything, where would you
expect to find information about a degree in nursing?
2. Find information about a nursing degree.
3. Return to the homepage. Use the program finder to
find information about a degree in physics.

31. assemble script
Weave in multiple goals
+
Find preferences first,
then test tools

32. pilot test
Pilot test with a friend to
get a sense of timing

33. Setup
Web applications

40. extra credit
Use online system(s),
unmoderated
Test a late code
prototype in QA process
Use TreeJack for
quantitative IA testing
($150 USD for 1 survey)
Use a local library’s
assistive computer lab

41. optimalworkshop.com/treejack

42. optimalworkshop.com/treejack

43. optimalworkshop.com/treejack

44. optimalworkshop.com/treejack

45. optimalworkshop.com/treejack

46. optimalworkshop.com/treejack

47. optimalworkshop.com/treejack

48. dclibrary.org/services/accessibility

49. Closing
Why do we conduct usability tests?

50. The price of light is less
than the cost of darkness.
Arthur C. Nielsen, Market Researcher

52. InVision TryMyUI
http://invisionapp.com http://trymyui.com
TreeJack
http://optimalworkshop.com/treejack
(my talks and blog)
http://adp.rocks or http:// .ws or http:// .ws
Thank you
@anthonydpaul