INTRODUCTION #5

Pitfalls of Usability Testing.

1. Reliability- (i.e. users participating in tests are representative of the full spectrum of users) without the representative users the results cannot be generalized to the user population. This risk (of getting unreliable data) can be minimized by having those users classified as non-average users participate in testing. Due to individual variation within any population the test team will not be able to ensure the data collected is 100% reliable.

2. Validity- is whether the test actually measured something of relevance to the usability of real products Whether the data collected in a usability test is valid or not will depend on the accuracy of the test tasks, scenarios and environment of the testing. The information provided by a user profile or a user representative is necessary in recreating these important factors.