Some tips on how to run 1-2-1 usability testing with your users/customers. If you are interested in testing in life science environments, this talk is for you! The example used is for a product I tested for molecular biologists whilst at EMBL-EBI in 2010/2011.

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Why didn’t
you click on
the obvious
one ?
Jenny Cham
User Experience (UX) Analyst
So why did you
click there ?

2. Analysing the EBI User Experience29.07.2016
17 sites
>70 scientists
May to Oct
Example of usability testing

3. 3
Design changes
to interface
design
Judgment calls
Group decision
Usability
testing
Analysis

4. Benefits
Obvious
Discover unknown/unexpected problems
Video footage as ‘proof’/objectivity (dilemmas get sorted)
Cheap and quick, fix early e.g. during agile
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Not so obvious…
Easy to use software = warm fuzzy feelings
Awareness of the new software with participants
Which features are not necessary?
Records progress

5. Analysing the EBI User Experience
Don’t call it testing
Get their boss or local
contact person to send
named invite around
Incentives + lunch
Formal and informal –
credibility but not too
daunting
Try to recruit for your personas
– use a ‘screener’

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6
Persona: Debra, Drug Discovery
What is the reaction chemistry?
Are there any known genes? etc…
Is he is a
‘Debra’?
(SurveyMonkey.net)

7. Plenty of buffer
time esp. if a
website3 or so sessions
is plenty/day
Ideally 30 min
turnaround for
analysis time
Schmooze with
management, let
them have a go too
Go to the
users’ site

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8
Get the user to
read ALOUD
Pick scenarios as
relevant as possible:
pre-test screenerSeveral to do
same one if poss

9. Love thy
user
We are not
testing you
Outline
the plan
clearly
You can
leave at any
timeThere is no
such thing
as ‘wrong’
We really
value
your input
Do you
have any
questions?
No, we won’t
put the video
on YouTube

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10
Supersticky
post-its,
different
colours
Decent wall
space for
analysis
Nice drinks
Laptop height & set
up mouse for
left/right handed
Facilitator – say as
little as you can
(cringe)
Consent form
for video
Quiet room
Grid to fill
in notes
Get user’s
background info on
tape (1st few mins)

11. http://silverbackapp.com/

12. Takes preparation
- each screen
layout ready
Have blanks for
‘under
construction’/
user sketches
Avoid users with
a software dev.
background
End the test early
if it’s going no
where

13. The user says… Over to you….(think therapist!)
I want to find the contact
details so should I go here?
Where do you think it
should go?
…(silence)… What are you thinking
now?
Oooh…I didn’t expect
that
What did you expect to
happen?

14. Obvious
May need to sell the idea to management – suggest doing it
‘guerrilla’ style anyway
Dependent on the sample, not statistically significant
Doesn’t tell you how to fix issues
Not so obvious
Developers think you are giving them extra work
You will want to test everything!
Drawbacks/
challenges

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Usability testing
would be great for
our project
And ours…
Now have a go yourself…

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Thanks for listening The end