Labs/Ubiquity/Usability/Usability Testing

Guidelines, resources, etc for Usability testing.

Framing and Social Proofing

While both of these topics deserve full pages of their own, a simple explanation of both is needed in the short term.

Framing

Framing- this is how Obama and Bush won. They framed the issues in a way that there were a water fall of meaning from everything they did. They were able to control the frame of the national conversation and thus the metaphors by which people understood them. What does compassionate conservatism mean? Wouldn't Hilary bring about change as well? Etc.

This may seem basic, and it is. Partial Birth Abortion isn't real, in a historical or technical sense. Yet, there it is, and it is a very powerful frame to invoke the killing of a live baby as opposed to stopping a biological process inside of a woman.

However, depth of the undestanding and how to manipulate this fundamental cognitive construct is deep and much better understood now. Take all the polling, all the focus groups, and market analysis- and take it to a whole new level. That is what cognitive psychologists (lead my Lackoff) have done.

In the context of usability testing calling the user a participant or subject creates a frame that we are testing the user not the product. This leads to skewing the users actual usage patterns. This is often multiplied by the caliber of a usability testing lab and the size of the audience. In recent years many have abondoned the lab and now test in as low key a setting as possible with as few people as possible or even remotly via the users computer and some webcame/screen capture software. To go a step futher I revised the title of the researcherto facilitator and the title of the user to tester. These might not lead to the most gramatically correct sentences but it does reduce the skewing users introduce.

• Wikpedia article on framing

Social Proofing/Social Value Theory

Social proofing arose partially from Social Theory but was largley created by sales people and evolutionary psychologists studing how to influence others and what makes certian people higher in the social ranking.

Very simply, there is a strategic plan and some tatics on how rearrainge how to introduce oneself and how to convince people to do things for you. It largly rests on ensuring the enjoyment of the social interaction between them.

This makes people more receptive to frames that are introduced and role-playing.

In the context of usability it turns the session into a chore that is interupting their activity to an intersting, fun thing to do. It makes the user better able to assume the role of a tester and also allows the facilitator to recruit the user into bad mouthing the software if it would help the facilitator. (I have a bet with one of the developers, etc)

To do so dress nicley, whatever makes you look like a relaxed, confident person. I wear a motorcylce jacket that signifigantly bulks me up, and a stylish hat with a cool pin on it for attention. Talk about how cool your job is and how incredibly powerful/awesome the company you are working for is (this is how actors get laid).

Talk with others, even if you don't know them. A smile and quick interaction helps improves your social value.

• Smile (espcially during the introduction)
• Put in a time constraint (lie) after the introduction, "I only have a minute, I have to get back to editing video"
• Sit in a relaxed asymetrical position
• Use the person's name when talking to them, "Heather, could you do X for me" or oh this is good stuff, heather."
• Eye Contact!

DON'T OFFER T-SHIRTS, DRINKS, MONEY, ETC. Then they are doing you a favor instead of them being cool enough to do something with you. Seriously, if you beg it turns into a crappy session. See sessions 9 and 11 vs 5, 6, 7, and 8.

UI Triangulation

See main page Usability Triangulation

UI Triangulation ensures that different tracking mechanisms (bug tracker tickets, Get Satisfaction tickets, and results from usability testing) are cross referenced and prioritized like programming bugs. It uses UI Severity and frequency ratings to prioritize bugs similar similar to programming bugs.

Severity + Frequency + human factoring = Priority

The equation above brings a level of objectivity to subjective observations.

Templates

Not traditional MediaWiki templates, but a good starting point for someone to c/p.

Usability Tests

Fall 08 1.2 Tests