Web Manager University - Spring 2008
Class Title: NEW! Paper Prototyping: How to Do Affordable and Easy User Testing (Class Updated)
| Class Format: | Webinar | about our webinars |
| Instructor: | Carolyn Snyder, Snyder Consulting | |
| Date: | March 12, 2008 (Wednesday) | |
| Time: | 1:00 pm–3:00 pm (EST) | |
| Place: | Online Webinar* |
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| Fee: | $50 federal, state, or local U.S. government employees; $75 for non-government participants. |
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*If you're at an agency that has multiple people who want to participate, we encourage you to register one person and view the webinar together in a conference-type setting or at a shared workstation.
Webinar Description
When creating or revamping a web site or web app, we often wonder what users really need and whether our ideas will work. Basing important design decisions on conjecture and opinion is a recipe for failure. By conducting usability tests early in the process, you can reduce the risks associated with these uncertainties.
What if the interface isn't done yet? Mock one up on paper and test it. A paper prototype uses printed or sketched screens on paper, manipulated by a person to simulate the behavior of the system. Ask real users to try realistic tasks, watch what they do, and discover where the design works well and where it's broken.
What if I'm not a usability specialist? Usability testing involves commonsense skills, and you can learn as you go.
What if there's no budget? You don't need a fancy lab with a one-way mirror and video recording equipment.
Paper prototyping is one of the easiest, cheapest and fastest approaches you can use to design, test, and refine user interfaces . In this presentation, Carolyn will share practical tips for creating and testing paper prototypes.
What You'll Learn
- The importance of early feedback in the design process
- What a paper prototype is and how to create one
- The types of problems that paper prototypes are (and aren’t) good at finding
- How to select a prototyping method appropriate to your needs
- Usability testing on a low (or no) budget
- How to facilitate a usability test, from room set-up to reporting test results
- Tips for getting started right away
Who Should Attend
Prior experience with usability testing is useful, but not required, as anyone can put paper prototyping techniques to use right away.
Webinar Format
This is an online webinar. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and share examples at the end of the presentation.
Carolyn Snyder is an internationally recognized usability consultant. She has 25 years of experience in the software industry, including 10 as a software engineer and project manager and 15 in usability. After 6 years as a consultant at User Interface Engineering, she started her own firm, Snyder Consulting, in 1999. Carolyn specializes in hands-on usability work with a wide variety of software and web site development teams. Carolyn literally wrote the book on Paper Prototyping – it was published in 2003. She is co-author of two other books on web usability. Carolyn has a BS in Computer Science from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Return to the Spring 2008 Schedule of Classes
Page Updated or Reviewed: March 13, 2008
