Assignment #3: User Testing

Overview

This assignment will demonstrate your ability to experience websites through the eyes of real users. Furthermore, you'll build on your problem-solving skills to suggest how that experience could be improved.

Throughout the semester, you'll be developing these skills. Applying this mentality will help you find weak points in your work (so you can be a better designer).

Due date

This is due by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2015.

Part 1: Pick a website

Choose a website that you really admire. Ensure that the website works on an iOS or Android phone. (Don't have access to a smartphone? No problem, just let me know and we'll figure it out.)

Part 2: Write a user test plan

Well-written user tests are crucial to getting quality results. If you write a crummy test, you're going to get crummy insight. Clear and specific directions work best.

First, pick your target audience. Second, pick your questions/tasks.

For your test, have the user find 2 pieces of information. These are not trick questions. You're merely trying to see how the user navigates the site. Use the same questions for each test.

Here's a sample test plan for a registration page:

• What do you think this page is about?
• Who is this webinar for?
• Register for the webinar. Don’t press the register button yet.
• What do you expect to see once you register? Describe that and then press submit.
• Is the information on this page helpful? Is there something missing that would be nice to have?

Part 3: Send test plan for approval

Once you've written your test plan, DM the plan to me on Slack. I'll send you feedback, if necessary. Once you've gotten the 👍 you can move onto Part 4.

Why approval? You'll notice feedback is incorporated into every assignment. Having someone else proofread the test plan can catch typos and unclear tasks.

Part 4: Run your user tests

See details in the Slack Private Group: Stewart-Section.

Part 5: Summarize your findings

Reflect on what you've learned from the videos and address these questions.

• What works about the site?
• What doesn't work on the site?
• How would you speculate fixing the problem(s)?
• Did anything surprise you?

Send this summary + the links to the user testing videos to me via DM on Slack.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask. 👍