by Steve Krug
demo test, 21
Designated Greeter, 60, 69
do-it-yourself usability testing
K
budget for, 28
Krug Prize, 7
defined,
14
compared to Big Honkin’ Test, 25
Krug’s Field Guide to Users, 35–36
domain knowledge, 41
L
E
La Cucaracha, 79
entrance and exit questions, 88
ethical considerations, 84
[ 159 ]
index
M
Q
maxims, 23, 32, 42, 91, 104, 111, 145
quantitative testing, 13
Morae, 89
R
N
recording consent form, 153
neutrality, maintaining, 82
recording the participant’s face, 89
Nielsen, Jakob, 7, 39, 143
recruiters, hiring, 44
recruiting, 39–49
redesign, reasons not to, 114
O
remote testing, 134–39
observation room, 96
unmoderated,
138
observers
reporting, 108
importance of, 91
Return on Investment (ROI), 131–32
in same room with participant, 101
instructions for, 94
S
luring with snacks, 97
role of, 93
scenarios, 53
screening participants, 46–47
screen recording software, 65
P
screen sharing software, 66
page designs, testing, 37
script, test, 70, 147–152
paraphrasing, 84
how to read, 71–72
participants
sketch on a napkin, 34
incentives for, 48
small sample size, 18
number required, 43
snacks, importance of, 97
recruiting,
38–49
reusing,
49
pilot test, 54
plagiarism, avoiding, 10
pokers, red-hot, 3
pre- and post-test questions, 88
probing, 78
prototypes, testing, 37
[ 160 ]
index
T
V
target audience, 40
VOIP (voice over IP), 67, 137
tasks, 51, 76
testing, do-it-yourself vs. Big Honkin’,
24–26
W
testing things besides Web sites, 11
what to test, 31–37
test room, 65–67
when to test, 31–32
The least you can do™, 110–119
where to test, 65–67
things you can say, 83–84
who to test with, 39–49
tweaking, 114–116
wireframes, testing, 36
confirming success of, 118
U
usability professionals
advantages of using, 6
Usability Professionals’ Association
(UPA), 7
usability testing
defined,
13
do-it-yourself.
See do-it-yourself
usability
testing
quantitative,
13
why it works, 16
why so little gets done, 18
Usertesting.com, 138–39
[ 161 ]
STEVE KRUG
did his first usability
test twenty years ago,
and he still learns
something new every
This book was produced digitally
time he does one.
using Microsoft Word, Adobe
Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator.
MARK MATCHO
Layout and production were
has been an illustrator
accomplished using Adobe
for twenty years,
InDesign. Files were passed
and has pretty much
among all parties concerned
worked for every dern magazine
and were proofed using Adobe
out there, at one point or another.
Acrobat. The text face is Farnham.
His work can be found in this book,
The chapter titles and paragraph
and at markmatcho.net.
headings were set in MetaPlus,
designed by Erik Spiekermann.
All captions were set in FF Letter
Gothic Text, designed by Albert
Pinggera.
This page intentionally left blank
index
index
Get free online access
to this book for 45 days!
And get access to thousands more by signing
up for a free trial to Safari Books Online!
With the purchase of this book you have instant online,
searchable access to it for 45 days on Safari Books Online!
And while you’re there, be sure to check out Safari Books
Online’s on-demand digital library and their free trial offer
(a separate sign-up process). Safari Books Online subscribers
have access to thousands of technical, creative and business
books, instructional videos, and articles from the world’s
leading publishers.
Simply visit www.peachpit.com/safarienabled and
enter code NJASSZG to try it today.
Document Outline
Contents
OPENING REMARKS: Call me Ishmael: How this book came to be, some disclaimers, and a bit of housekeeping
FINDING USABILITY PROBLEMS CHAPTER 1 You don’t see any elephants around here, do you?: What do-it-yourself usability testing is, why it always works, and why so little of it gets done
CHAPTER 2 I will now saw my [lovely] assistant in half: What a do-it-yourself test looks like
CHAPTER 3 A morning a month, that’s all we ask: A plan you can actually follow
CHAPTER 4 What do you test, and when do you test it?: Why the hardest part is starting early enough
CHAPTER 5 Recruit loosely and grade on a curve: Who to test with and how to find them
CHAPTER 6 Find some things for them to do: Picking tasks to test and writing scenarios for them
CHAPTER 7 Some boring checklists: And why you should use them even if, like me, you don’t really like checklists
CHAPTER 8 Mind reading made easy: Conducting the test session
CHAPTER 9 Make it a spectator sport: Getting everyone to watch and telling them what to look for
FIXING USABILITY PROBLEMS CHAPTER 10 Debriefing 101: Comparing notes and deciding what to fix
CHAPTER 11 The least you can do™: Why doing less is often the best way to fix things
CHAPTER 12 The usual suspects: Some problems you’re likely to find and how to think about fixing them
CHAPTER 13 Making sure life actually improves: The art of playing nicely with others
THE ROAD AHEAD CHAPTER 14 Teleportation made easy: Remote testing: Fast, cheap, and slightly out of control
CHAPTER 15 Overachievers only: Recommended reading
CHAPTER 16 Happy trails / to you: A few final words of encouragement
Sample test script and consent form
Acknowledgments
Index A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W