Chapter 8
Takeaways
1. You should test your product (from prototype to completed versions) frequently, with small
2. Design your test around your test and design goals. Choose testing methods that will best
inform that stage of design.
4. A/B testing and formative testing are the two most useful tests for comparing and testing
products during your design process.
6. Write a detailed test plan and test script to ensure you and your team are prepared to test.
8. Cognitive overload can occur when users are asked to do too much, and it may affect their
ability to perform tasks due to multiple outside influences tapping their cognitive resources.
10. Dont analyze data while testing is in progress; this can lead to biased assumptions about how
testing is going and influence your analysis for later test sessions.
12. The facilitators speech should be writtenword-for-wordas it will be spoken during the
13. Voluminous data results from hundreds of users arent necessary to make a product better for its
intended users. One simple task with five users in a realistic scenario can aid in understanding
Discussion Questions
1. Think about the Efficiency component of the MEELS process. What information might you
need to determine what a reasonable about of time is for users to complete tasks? What if
2. When might you decide to use summative or formative testing? What are the benefits and
drawbacks of each approach?
3. What types of product components would be useful to test in an A/B test? Can you come
4. Can paying money to test participants sway test results? Does it matter as long as they are
representative users? How else might you incentivize users to participate?
5. What can you do to make the test environment as representative as possible?
UCD Quests
1. Imagine that you are sharing your test plan with a client for approval before you proceed
2. Imagine that you have a test plan and are ready to recruit users from a local volunteer
organization. How might you contact them? What details would you tell them about the
product and test? What incentive would they have to participate? Prepare a formal
3. Practice TAP and active-intervention with a classmate or coworker as he or she completes a
task. Was this easy or hard to do? How might you improve your approach?