Bureaucrats, emailconfirmed
1,221
edits
IFD:Course Interaction Design (view source)
Revision as of 17:05, 14 November 2010
, 14 November 2010→Get to know if your ideas work!
| Line 465: | Line 465: | ||
===Build a Paper-Prototype=== | ===Build a Paper-Prototype=== | ||
Now as you know what you are going to test you can build your prototype. It needs to simulate the situations that can occur when the participants do the task you gave them. So at least you need to cover the possibilities to resolve the task and some sideways that don't lead to the task's solution. Otherwise the Participant will try to interact and your prototype will not be up to responding and "crashes". | Now as you know what you are going to test you can build your prototype. It needs to simulate the situations that can occur when the participants do the task you gave them. So at least you need to cover the possibilities to resolve the task and some sideways that don't lead to the task's solution. Otherwise the Participant will try to interact and your prototype will not be up to responding and "crashes". | ||
====The role of the "computer"==== | ====The role of the "computer"==== | ||
If you test with paper prototypes it will be useful to get an additional person before you start: besides of doing the actual testing, somebody needs to be the "computer" and change the prototype according to the users interactions. | If you test with paper prototypes it will be useful to get an additional person before you start: besides of doing the actual testing, somebody needs to be the "computer" and change the prototype according to the users interactions. | ||
the computer changes the screen according to the users actions. | |||
The computer should only react on appropriate input: tapping, dragging etc. with the finger on the screen and text input via writing on the screen via a non-permanent marker. | |||
the computer should be very familiar with the product and the planned interactions so the screen are changed correctly. | |||
===Brief Participants=== | ===Brief Participants=== | ||
If your testers never tested an prototype before they are likely to wonder what is going to happen. So it is important to give them a brief introduction. | If your testers never tested an prototype before they are likely to wonder what is going to happen. So it is important to give them a brief introduction. | ||
| Line 480: | Line 477: | ||
You want to know what participants think while testing your product - so you should ask them to "think aloud": during the testing process they shall tell what is in their mind at the moment. This will sound like this ''"I think this menu entry will import the images... so I click... well... I know that..."'' To get the people talking you should ask them a few simple questions like if they have already experience with similar products and things like this. | You want to know what participants think while testing your product - so you should ask them to "think aloud": during the testing process they shall tell what is in their mind at the moment. This will sound like this ''"I think this menu entry will import the images... so I click... well... I know that..."'' To get the people talking you should ask them a few simple questions like if they have already experience with similar products and things like this. | ||
If you use paper prototyping tell the user how to interact with the protoytype. Introduce the person who is simulating and tell the user that | |||
* the computer can't recognize speech input but needs to be operated by "clicking" and "typing" | |||
* The paper prototype reacts on "clicking" by tapping on parts of the screen. * Text input can be written on the prototype's input areas by using a non permanent pen you provide. | |||
If you work in a company you should prepare a form for the users containing the briefing in a written form that tells them about their rights and should be signed by the user. As well it could be possible that you need a non disclosure agreement. | If you work in a company you should prepare a form for the users containing the briefing in a written form that tells them about their rights and should be signed by the user. As well it could be possible that you need a non disclosure agreement. | ||
| Line 486: | Line 487: | ||
===Conducting the actual test=== | ===Conducting the actual test=== | ||
Now, as you are finished building the prototype you need, you can finally do the actual test! | |||
As with the interviews there are some things you and others who observe should avoid. Brief all observers in this and tell that you are going to take care of dealing with the user - so you have clear roles and nobody, especially not the user, gets confused. | |||
* Most importantly you should not influence the tester or help him or her. | |||
* If the user does anything and you have the urgent feeling that you should show the right way: don't do so. It will spoil what you actually want to know: where problems occur and how the user deals with them. | |||
You will facilitate the test and interact with the user - while not altering the user's behaviour as well: | |||
* If the user asks you questions about solving the task like "is this right?" or "can I..." just answer:What you like" or "What would you do if I were not here?" | * If the user asks you questions about solving the task like "is this right?" or "can I..." just answer: What you like" or "What would you do if I were not here?" | ||
* If the user really gets stuck you can gradually help. First with something with ''"where do you think could the [whatever] function be?"'' if this not helps in any way you can point to the solution so you can move further: '' "what do you think does this button do?" '' | * If the user really gets stuck you can gradually help. First with something with ''"where do you think could the [whatever] function be?"'' if this not helps in any way you can point to the solution so you can move further: '' "what do you think does this button do?" '' | ||
* If the user forgets about thinking aloud just ask ''"What do you think at the moment" '' | * If the user forgets about thinking aloud just ask ''"What do you think at the moment?" '' | ||
* You should let the user decide when to end the task | |||
While the user does the task you or your observers write down notes. If you can do the testing with some additional people - so you can concentrate on facilitating the task for the user while they take notes. For taking notes are some simple rules: | |||
* Write down just observations - stay objective. | |||
* Quotes from the user can be pretty useful | |||
* If you write down interpretations of user behaviour mark them as interpretations and write down as well why you interpret the behaviour as well. | |||
===After the test=== | ===After the test=== | ||