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Now that you've had an opportunity to review the Test Study Script, we'll see how it works in practice.
Script being used in the study
Further Reading:
Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests
[MUSIC]
0:00
[SOUND] You've had a chance to
read the usability test script.
0:03
Now let's take a look at
how it works in practice.
0:07
I'll now be role playing through a portion
of the Amazon.com usability test.
0:10
Okay, hi, I'm Anya.
0:17
Welcome to our office.
0:18
I'll be your researcher for
the usability study today.
0:20
>> Hi, I'm Jess.
0:22
>> Hi there, I'm Tyler.
0:23
I'll just be taking notes today.
0:24
Thanks for coming in.
0:26
>> It's nice to meet you.
0:27
>> Okay, wonderful, would you like to
use the restroom before we get started?
0:27
>> Nope, I'm good.
0:30
>> Okay, then please come on in and
here's your seat right here.
0:31
Okay, so here's a water bottle
before we get started in case
0:41
you get thirsty along the way.
0:44
>> Thanks.
0:45
>> Wonderful.
0:46
And if you can tell me if you've signed
the consent form already online?
0:47
>> I did.
0:51
>> Okay, great.
0:51
So we're just gonna dig right in.
0:52
So, again, thank you for taking
the time to participate in our study.
0:54
And from now on I'll be reading
from the script right here just
0:57
to make sure I don't miss
any important details.
1:01
So I invited you here today so
1:04
that you can help us learn about how
people buy AC units for their homes.
1:05
From now on I'm going
to be recording you and
1:09
your voice as well as the screen up there.
1:12
This will just ensure I don't miss any
valuable information as we move through
1:14
the study.
1:19
It will also allow those who aren't
here to observe things in real time,
1:20
to watch the video later.
1:24
None of this footage will be used
outside of our product team.
1:25
And the information that we do gather will
be anonymized so that we can draw general
1:29
conclusions about the product and
certainly nothing about you.
1:34
There are currently people watching
the study from another room.
1:38
I may check in with them occasionally just
to see if they have any questions for you.
1:41
And I want you to know that I am
the researcher and not the designer, so
1:45
don't worry about offending
me with your feedback.
1:48
We are really testing the product and
not you.
1:51
Any and all feedback is helpful for us.
1:55
Any challenges or problems that you
observe are a fault of the product and
1:58
not you, [LAUGH] just want to
make that very, very clear.
2:02
So don't hold back and
please be honest in every way.
2:05
Your honesty and openness is the most
valuable thing that we could have today.
2:09
So, I'm going to ask you to think aloud.
2:13
This means that please speak
what you are doing as you
2:16
are doing it throughout the study.
2:20
If you do forget this I'll remind you
along the way because it is very important
2:23
for us to know why you're doing something
as well as the fact that you're actually
2:28
doing it.
2:33
Any questions so far?
2:34
>> Nope.
2:35
Okay, wonderful, so I'm gonna start
with a few background questions.
2:35
If you're not comfortable answering
any of them, just let me know and
2:39
we can skip those.
2:43
So firstly,
what is your current profession?
2:44
>> I'm a customer success manager.
2:47
>> Okay, wonderful.
2:48
Okay.
2:50
Notice how I used simple language to
communicate with the participant.
2:51
I assured them that their
honesty would be appreciated and
2:55
that ultimately this was about testing
the product and not testing them.
2:59
I introduced the concept of
the thinking out loud protocol and
3:03
let them ask questions.
3:07
I then asked a few background questions,
including those that should have been
3:09
asked previously to confirm that
the participant qualified for the study.
3:13
Next, let's take a look at how we would
walk through one of the sample scenarios.
3:17
Okay, so to get started,
if you can please go to amazon.com and
3:23
find an air conditioner unit that you'd
be likely to purchase for your home.
3:26
Please proceed with that purchase, but
3:31
I will stop you before your credit card
is charged, so don't worry about that.
3:32
And if you need any other
information along the way,
3:36
please feel free to reference any
sites that you normally would at home.
3:39
Okay, I will go to Google Chrome, and
3:42
I will go to amazon.com,
search for an air conditioner.
3:46
There's a lot of choices here.
3:59
I'm going to pick the one
that says Amazon's Choice.
4:03
>> That's interesting.
4:08
Can you tell me why you
chose that particular label?
4:09
>> Well, I assume that Amazon has done
a lot of research about this product, so
4:12
it's probably a good one.
4:17
>> Okay, thank you for that information.
4:18
>> It says it has 10,000 BTUs, but
4:26
I don't really know what that means,
so I'm gonna Google that.
4:29
>> So I noticed that you're looking for
more information.
4:52
Would you mind thinking out loud so
that I can know what you're looking for?
4:54
>> Sure.
4:58
So, I don't know what 10,000 BTU means,
so, I think it has
4:59
something to do with room size, and
my room is about 200 square feet,
5:04
so, I'm hoping I can just find a chart
that will tell me which one to buy.
5:09
>> Yeah, I understand now.
5:15
Thank you.
5:16
What did you notice about how
I presented the scenario and
5:17
asked follow up questions?
5:21
Jot down your initial observations and
we'll review them in the next session.
5:22
After each of the study
sessions is done and
5:27
the participant has left the office,
the researchers should take ten
5:30
minutes to talk openly with observers
about what each person noticed.
5:35
The goal is to come to a shared
understanding of the main insights but
5:39
not the solutions.
5:43
Doing this can uncover findings and
5:45
ideas that may not have been obvious
to the researcher or notetaker.
5:47
It is also one more way to incentivize
observers to pay attention during
5:51
the session, since they'll be
expecting a discussion at the end.
5:56
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