Book Image

Remote Usability Testing

By : Inge De Bleecker, Rebecca Okoroji
Book Image

Remote Usability Testing

By: Inge De Bleecker, Rebecca Okoroji

Overview of this book

Usability testing is a subdiscipline of User Experience. Its goal is to ensure that a given product is easy to use and the user's experience with the product is intuitive and satisfying. Usability studies are conducted with study participants who are representative of the target users to gather feedback on a user interface. The feedback is then used to refine and improve the user interface. Remote studies involve fewer logistics, allow participation regardless of location and are quicker and cheaper to execute compared to in person studies, while delivering valuable insights. The users are not inhibited by being in a new environment under observation; they can act naturally in their familiar environment. Remote unmoderated studies additionally have the advantage of being independent of time zones. This book will teach you how to conduct qualitative remote usability studies, in particular remote moderated and unmoderated studies. Each chapter provides actionable tips on how to use each methodology and how to compensate for the specific nature of each methodology. The book also provides material to help with planning and executing each study type.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Title Page
Copyright and Credits
Dedication
Packt Upsell
Contributors
Preface
8
What to Consider When Analyzing and Presenting the Study Results
Index

Chapter 2. What Not to Forget When Planning Your Study

A usability study can be executed without any prior planning, and it is possible that it will still uncover useful insights. Nevertheless, similar to any project approach, following a process and planning the various steps are critical success factors. There is no downside to planning a study upfront. The time and effort involved help to prevent unnecessary discussions down the line, a misalignment of study goals, and unhappiness with deliverables.

Communication is key to successfully completing a remote usability study. All stakeholders have to be in agreement about the framework of the study. That framework consists of the following elements:

  • The product being tested
  • The goal, budget, and scope of the study
  • The test environment
  • The participants
  • The study methodology
  • The schedule
  • The deliverables

Each study should be kicked off with a session involving all of the stakeholders in order to establish a consensus on the framework of the study and...