Task-Centered User Interface Design
A Practical Introduction
by Clayton Lewis and John Rieman
Copyright ©1993, 1994: Please see the "shareware notice" at the front of the book.
Contents | Foreword | ProcessUsers&Tasks | Design | Inspections | User-testing | Tools |Documentation |

5.1 Choosing Users to Test
5.2 Selecting Tasks for Testing
5.3 Providing a System for Test Users to Use
5.4 Deciding What Data to Collect
5.5 The Thinking Aloud Method
        5.5.1 Instructions
        5.5.2 The Role of the Observer
        5.5.3 Recording
        5.5.4 Summarizing the Data
        5.5.5 Using the Results
5.6 Measuring Bottom-Line Usability
        5.6.1 Analyzing the Bottom-Line Numbers
        5.6.2 Comparing Two Design Alternatives
5.7 Details of Setting Up a Usability Study
        5.7.1 Choosing the Order of Test Tasks
        5.7.2 Training Test Users
        5.7.3 The Pilot Study
        5.7.4 What If Someone Doesn't Complete a Task?
        5.7.5 Keeping Variability Down
        5.7.6 Debriefing Test Users

Prev 5.5.3 Recording Next 5.5.5 Using the Results


5.5.4 Summarizing the Data




The point of the test is to get information that can guide the design. To do this you will want to make a list of all difficulties users encountered. Include references back to the original data so you can look at the specifics if questions arise. Also try to judge why each difficulty occurred, if the data permit a guess about that.











Copyright © 1993,1994 Lewis & Rieman







Contents | Foreword | ProcessUsers&Tasks | Design | Inspections | User-testing | Tools |Documentation |