Hi, ___________. My name is Melissa, and I’m
going to be walking you through this session today.
Before we begin, I have some information for you, and
I’m going to read it to make sure that I cover everything.
You probably already have a good idea of why we asked
you here, but let me go over it again briefly. We’re
asking people to try using a Web site that we’re working
on so we can see whether it works as intended. The
session should take about an hour.
The first thing I want to make clear right away is that
we’re testing the site, not you. You can’t do anything
wrong here. In fact, this is probably the one place today
where you don’t have to worry about making mistakes.
As you use the site, I’m going to ask you as much as
possible to try to think out loud: to say what you’re
looking at, what you’re trying to do, and what you’re
thinking. This will be a big help to us.
Also, please don’t worry that you’re going to hurt our
feelings. We’re doing this to improve the site, so we
need to hear your honest reactions.
If you have any questions as we go along, just ask them.
I may not be able to answer them right away, since
we’re interested in how people do when they don’t have
someone sitting next to them to help. But if you still
have any questions when we’re done I’ll try to
answer them then. And if you need to take a break at
any point, just let me know.
You may have noticed the microphone. With your
permission, we’re going to record what happens on the
screen and our conversation. The recording will only be
used to help us figure out how to improve the site, and it
won’t be seen by anyone except the people working on
this project. And it helps me, because I don’t have to
take as many notes.
Also, there are a few people from the Web design team
observing this session in another room. (They can’t see
us, just the screen.)
If you would, I’m going to ask you to sign a simple
permission form for us. It just says that we have your
permission to record you, and that the recording will
only be seen by the people working on the project.
Give them a recording permission form and a pen
While they sign it, START the SCREEN RECORDER
IF YOU ARE USING A NON-DISCLOSURE
AGREEMENT (optional):
I know we also sent you a non-disclosure agreement that
says that you won’t talk to anybody about what we’re
showing you today, since it hasn’t been made public yet.
Do you have that with you?
Accept the NDA and make sure that it’s signed. If
they don’t have it with them, hand them a copy
and give them time to read and sign it.
Do you have any questions so far?
OK. Before we look at the site, I’d like to ask you just a
few quick questions.
First, what’s your occupation? What do you do all day?
Now, roughly how many hours a week altogether—just
a ballpark estimate— would you say you spend using
the Internet, including Web browsing and email, at work
and at home?
And what’s the split between email and browsing—a
rough percentage?
What kinds of sites are you looking at when you browse
the Web?
Do you have any favorite Web sites?
OK, great. We’re done with the questions, and we can
start looking at things.
Click on the bookmark for the site’s Home page.
First, I’m going to ask you to look at this page and tell
me what you make of it: what strikes you about it,
whose site you think it is, what you can do here, and
what it’s for. Just look around and do a little narrative.
You can scroll if you want to, but don’t click on
anything yet.
Allow this to continue for three or four minutes, at most.
Thanks. Now I’m going to ask you to try doing some
specific tasks. I’m going to read each one out loud and
give you a printed copy.
I’m also going to ask you to do these tasks without using
Search. We’ll learn a lot more about how well the site
works that way.
And again, as much as possible, it will help us if you can
try to think out loud as you go along.
Hand the participant the first scenario, and read it
aloud.
Allow the user to proceed until you don’t feel like it’s
producing any value or the user becomes very
frustrated.
Repeat for each task or until time runs out.
Now I’m going to ask you to try doing a few more
tasks. This time, you are allowed to use Search.
Repeat steps for previous tasks.
Thanks, that was very helpful.
If you’ll excuse me for a minute, I’m just going to see if
the people on the team have any follow-up questions
they’d like me to ask you.
Call the observation room to see if the observers have
any questions.
Ask the observers’ question, then probe anything you
want to follow up on.
Do you have any questions for me, now that we’re
done?
Give them their incentive, or remind them it will be
sent to them.
Stop the screen recorder and save the file.
Thank them and escort them out.
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