[Sigia-l] User research not usability testing. Was RE: Finding and Choosing a Consultant

[Stewart Dean]

----------------------------------------
> From: jacquiolkin at hotmail.com
> To: stew8dean at hotmail.com
> CC: lauran at etr.org; sigia-l at asis.org
> Subject: Re: [Sigia-l] Finding and Choosing a Consultant
> Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2007 19:54:43 -0500
> 
> <Testing the site at the start of a project will tell you things like 'the
> navigation doesn't work' and 'this section is very confusing' - it will just
> tell you what is broken.  What is needed is to find out what works, what is
> needed and find out how your site works with the needs of it's intended
> audience.>
> 
> Stewart,
> 
> I would agree that interviews can be very useful, but I would disagree with 
> your narrow view of usability testing. Usability testing--with the right 
> tasks and protocols--can reveal both weaknesses and strengths of a site, and 
> both types of findings are essential in guiding a project.
> 
> Usability testing can also uncover very useful information about the way 
> users think about and use information, the naming conventions they use and 
> understand, the way they use Web sites generally, and their conceptions and 
> approaches concerning common tasks--none of which could easily be discovered 
> through interviews or focus groups. There is a big difference between the 
> way people think they will behave when confronted with a Web site and the 
> way they actually do.


Jacqui,  I both agree and disagree with you.  The last lab based usability test I ran I used multiple websites including the site that was being redesigned to find out about the users interaction. Since then in my standard interviewing process there is often a short amount of  computer use towards the end of the conversation once you ger all the context has been defined.  This evolved out of usability testing and I found that getting the user talking before going near a screen gives much better results than sitting a user down in front of computer and giving them tasks to carry out.  

In my view it's basic psychology - get the user talking about tasks and information and thinking about that and that alone first before seeing how the internet/intranet/interactive media fits in with there way of doing things.  


> Tests can also yield helpful surprises. In one usability study I did for an 
> association, some members of the association did not understand themselves 
> to be members, because they were members through their employers. The 
> finding prompted further investigation by my client and a new membership 
> communication effort.

I tend to call it user research not usability testing as that's what it's really about, but then I tend to avoid the term usability increasingly in favour of user experience. As an IA I need to know what the user is thinking, what they are looking to do, what they need, what is easy, what is difficult and why the use something.  By watching my users use a wide range of sites I can see what works for them as well and by talking to them and them showing me things I can find out what doesnt work for them.

I suppose it is still usability testing, just not scripted in the way I was first taught and is truer to the ideals of letting the user be the centre of the design.

Cheers

Stewart Dean