A common practice in usability testing is to ask individual test participants to describe what they are doing as they complete the tasks in a test scenario. The “Think-Aloud” protocol, or method, asks test participants to maintain a running commentary about what they are doing and why. By analyzing verbal feedback from test participants, usability professionals gain valuable information …
Category Archive: Usability (UX)
user experience, usability, ux in web design and content strategy
Jan
31
“Think-Aloud” Protocol Can Influence Usability Testing
We got feedback from usability experts and they have additional information they would like to share. Take a look at their new post. A common practice in usability testing is to ask people to describe what they are doing as they complete a task. The “Think-Aloud” protocol, or method, asks test participants to verbally express their thoughts, feelings, and reactions …
Dec
28
2012 Year in Review: First Fridays Usability Testing Program
Looking back, it’s clear that 2012 was a big year for the First Fridays Usability Testing Program. Improving the user experience is our game, and that’s what we spent the bulk of the year doing. Besides celebrating our second birthday (huzzah!), we conducted 26 tests on federal websites, mobile sites, intranets and much more. A …
Nov
28
Three Easy Steps to Usability Rock Stardom
How do you let people know that your office website stinks? Or how do you get them to care? Let’s say you’ve been at your agency a year or so. You’ve mastered the office layout, and you can comfortably engage in the argument over the best falafel place. Now let’s say when you open your agency’s website, there’s a …
Oct
30
Eye-Tracking Usability Tests for Dummies
Eye tracking is a way of monitoring the way our eyes interact with something through the use of sophisticated cameras. In government, eye tracking usability tests are often done with web sites or printed materials. The goal is to find which elements catch our eyes, and where our gaze moves as we search for information. …
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