Notes on Chapters 8 and 9

Chapter 8

The concept of an "average user" is a myth. Every user is unique, so it is not advised to try to design your web site for a general user. The best method is to simply test and test and test the usability of your site to get the best experience for users visiting the site.

Also, don't argue over things that don't have answers. Find a solution through testing.

Chapter 9

Usability Testing How-tos

Focus Groups vs Usability Tests
Focus Groups are employed in the planning process to discuss ideas that should go into developing the site.
Usability tests are done throughout the development process. The user is observed to see what is working and what isn't on the site.

Testing Tips

if you can't hire a professional, consult Krug's short guide on how to do it yourself test early (it's harder to make changes later on)
test often. How often?

Krug suggests one morning a month during a regularly scheduled time. He says," you can find more problems in half a day that you can fix is one month" (119)

you don't need several testers, keeping it simple will help you do it more often. How many users?

Krug suggests 3 users: 2 who loosely fit your target audience and 1 who does not
How do you find users? You can advertise on social media or by word of mouth. Be sure you compensate your users fairly.

do the testing in a quiet place with access to all the technology you'll need
consider remote testing if participants are not local
if you're not facilitating the test yourself, choose a facilitator that is patient, calm and encourages the participant to stay focused and think aloud
you'll need lots of observers. Gather observers in another conference room where they can observe what's going on in the conference room.
if you can hire a professional, do
think about using a usability service; you can find them online

More About Testing

Develop specific tasks for the participating users based on what your site is capable of doing at that stage. Make the instructions specific but not too narrow, allowing the user to use their own personal background knowledge. These tasks should not take more than 35 minutes to an hour.
Here's what should happen during the test -

Welcome the participants (4 minutes) - explain how the test will work
Ask them questions (2 minutes) - ice breaker and helps you learn more about them
Home Page Tour (3 minutes) - ask the participant to describe the homepage
The Tasks (35 minutes) - sit back and watch the participant attempt the tasks. Encourage them to muddle through and think outloud
Probing (5 minutes) - ask the participant any questions
Wrap Up (5 minutes) - thank them. Pay them.
Meet with your team of observers directly after the test to debrief and identify the problems

Common Problems and Fixes

Problems: 1. Users miss the concept 2. Users can't find what they think they are looking for 3. The page is too cluttered
Determining What to Fix (first)

list the problems
choose the top ten
rank them
delegate who's going to work on what and implement time frames
make a separate list of "easy fixes" or "things to work on in our free time"
do not add problems that weren't on the original list
be cautious about suggestions from the participants
don't worry about the small problems that don't seem to affect the participants experience even if it isn't as smooth as you would have liked

WebWritingAndDesign : NotesOnKrugChapters8and9BJR