Test Process

• Before the start of any test, all equipment should be checked and the experimenter should be familiar with the test procedure, the tasks and the equipment in the test room.
• When the participant arrives, they should be briefed on the objective of the test and a consent form should be filled out. It should be explicitly stated that the product is under test and not the participant and that the participant is free to ask questions and withdraw from the test if they feel uncomfortable.
• A pre-test questionnaire can be administerd to obtain information about the participant's experience with related products and/or within the product domain.
• A description of the product should be provided, along with the tasks to be performed during the test and with the final product.
• The participant should then be allowed to practice with the product and perform the initial tasks that develop familiarization with the product. At this time, the experimenter should pay close attention to and encourage the use of the thinking aloud technique by the participant.
• Extreme care must be taken to familiarize the participant with the product and tasks. Ethical standards must be adhered to when testing with the participant, answering questions and probing deeper into some of the participant remarks regarding the product.
• When performing the test tasks, it should be made explicitly clear as to what is required of the participant. If the participant is unable to perform the required task or initiates some other procedure then this suggests a usability problem.
• The participant should not be blamed for the product's failure and encouraged to try other features of the product.
• Only if the participant is clearly struggling with the product and is unable to use the product to any degree, should the experimenter guide the process by encouraging other options rather than providing specific directions. This should be done in a diplomatic manner, to avoid discouraging the test user.
• Extra company personnel should not be present, to eliminate distraction and possible embarrassment to the participant.
• Post test questionnaires and interviews can be used to obtain usability information and subjective preference. The experimenter can also probe deeper into explanations for some of the participant's comments about the product.
• During the debriefing process, the worth of the participant should be emphasized and they should be reminded that the product was under test and their participation fulfilled that goal.

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