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.

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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 5.6.2 Comparing Two Design Alternatives Next 5.7.1 Choosing the Order of Test Tasks

5.7 Details of Setting Up a Usability Study

The description of user testing we've given up to this point should be all the background you need during the early phases of a task-centered design project. When you're actually ready to evaluate a version of the design with users, you'll have to consider some of the finer details of setting up and running the tests. This section, which you may want to skip on the first reading of the chapter, will help with many of those details.

Copyright © 1993,1994 Lewis & Rieman

ProcessUsers&Tasks |

Tools |

Documentation |