Scripted usability test with paper prototypes. Tallinn Winter School, Experimental interaction design workshop.

1. Testing Paper
Prototypes
Tallinn Winter School / Experimental Interaction Design 2014

2. Recap
Users +
End goals
Persona
Scenarios
Use cases/
User stories
Paper
prototypes
Testing I

3. Today
1. Plan
Select what user stories/use cases you would like to test
2. Prepare
Write a simple script, distribute test session roles, specify
questions and determine tasks and their end-results
3. Conduct
Organize and record usability test (notes/video)
4. Reflect
Analyze results and make according changes

4. About
Testing Raw
Prototypes

5. Most people are happy to
dedicate time to help you
out with your project,
even if it’s just on paper!
Although it’s just on paper,
plan and be prepared!
Usability Wizard

6. Tasks to test
Any type of doable tasks with clear goals
but without specific clues of the solution.
“Change your password”
“Go to menu and edit
settings of your profile”
“Find the nearest shop”
“Rearrange search results
based on the location”

7. Example scenario
Maria likes second-hand clothes. She goes
on 2ndHand.com and browses the newest
offers. She searches for shoes and quickly
finds the ones she like. Maria adds them
to her shopping card.
Possible questions and tasks
“What can you do with this app?”
Task 1: Search for women’s shoes with the color of your choice.
Task 2: Buy your favorite pair.

8. Task 2: Buy a pair of shoes you like.
End result
User has completed, verified and paid for her order.
Steps
1. Add the product to the cart
2. Proceed to the checkout
3. Fill in needed information (x, y, z, ...)
4. Verify your order
5. Pay a) with online bank b) with credit card
6. Receive a receipt
ALT
Deal with errors, e.g.
missing information

9. Open-ended questions
Homescreen
“What do you think you can do
with this application?”
Previous action
returns an error
“What do you think went wrong?”
New feature
“Do you like it?”

10. “Er... sure, I like it”
“Yeah, I know, it’s awesome.”

11. E.g.
Tasks
1. “You need to make some modifications in your profile.”
End-result: user finds how to change settings a) via profile b) via settings icon.
1.1. “First change your password”
End-result: user replaces current password.

12. Prepare
• Write a simple script for yourself, if you have a
lot of testing to do. Number/name questions
and tasks to help documentation.
• Write down tasks on a separate paper so you
can show them to your test participants
• Specify, for yourself, end-results for the task.
Think about what “task not completed”could
stand for.

13. Roles
Team of 2 or 3
(Silent)
Human-Computer
reacts to user’s
commands
Observer
takes notes
http://austintoombs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/DSC_7808-Copy.jpg
Participant
thinks out loud
+ Facilitator instructs the user
and helps the computer

14. Test structure example
1. Greetings
Introduce team members and explaining the test method
Give instructions, e.g. “Point with your finger/pen to simulate a tap”
Mention that it is not a user who is tested but the system
2. Start with light background questions
E.g. “How often do you use travel planners?”
Explain briefly what is the starting point, “This is the landing page of...”
3. Remind the participant to think aloud
E.g. “I think this link would lead me to…”

15. Test session
4.Introduce the first task
Make sure that it’s clear for the user
5.Move to the next task
Continue when the goal is achieved or user expresses that
he/she does not know the answer.
6. Conclude the test session
Ask if user has anything to add
Thank the participant and discuss the results with your team

16. During the test pay attention to...
E.g.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Are participants doing what was expected?
Did anything cause frustration or confuse?
Anything new or surprising?
Any paths that you haven’t thought of before?
Was there a clearly preferred solution or path?
Are some paths unused or “misused”?

17. Reflection and Design Changes
E.g.
Bottlenecks in the process?
What paths were ignored or barely used?
What was clearly missing? etc.
Tip: Update before the next test user and see if it worked.

18. Happy testing
...and may the odds be ever in your favor!