Usability Tests: Developing Scenarios

Dr. Will Kurlinkus

 Scenarios
Scenarios: Creating realistic activities/tasks for your users to perform during
the usability test that engage the possible errors of the site. Ideally they
are linked to the user persona.

1. Start with the goals of the website

2. Put those goals in a realistic story/context: add constraints

User goal: Browse product offerings and purchase an item.
Poor task: Purchase a pair of shoes.
Better task: Buy a pair of shoes for under $40.

3. Place some kind of realistic emotional/psychological pressure on your

usability subjects. Tell a story.

4. Avoid clues in your scenarios. Dont mention the names of section of the
website or links.

The goal of these scenarios is to count clicks, watch users take wrong turns
and struggle, etc. So that you can redesign the website as best you can.
 Example Scenario

The spring semester is coming to a close, and you are planning

on moving to a new house across town with your 4 roommates.
Only one of you has your own car, and you all decide that it
would be too much of a hassle and too much gas money to try
and drive back and forth in that one car. One of you suggests
that it would be easier to just rent a truck for the day to move
across town. You remember your neighbors from back home
used to hire Penske Trucks to move across town to their new
home, and you suggest to the group that they are a reliable
company to rent from. The trouble is, you dont know where the
nearest truck rental site is near where you live. Without using the
search bar, try and locate what location you would rent your
truck from in your area.
1. Assets Inventory

What are each team

members strengths and
weaknesses?

What tasks would you be

good at and what tasks do
you know you need to avoid
or get careful feedback on?

Set up a place and

schedule on which to
collaborate (I suggest using
Google docs and doodle).
When are the best times to
work together?
 2. Structure Your Meetings: PPP

Begin your meeting with

showing off your work and
reviewing it together.
1. Progress: What are your
accomplishments,
finished items, and
completed tasks.
2. Problems: Challenges.
Items that you are stuck
and cant finish alone.
3. Plans: Goals and
objectives for the next
reporting period. These
should become Progress
next week.
 3. Dividing and Conquering
Always end the meeting with
clearly defined objectives for
each group member (ideally
based in their skills).
Make sure these objectives are
broken down sequentially to
actually show the labor and
process/timeline involved in
them. First, Ill do this, then Ill
do this.
At the beginning of the next
meeting tick off your
objectives list.
Keep this list so you know whos
done what type of work
throughout the project. And so
you can show your boss/client/
professor what stage of the
project youre at.
Kanban Boards
 4. Use Your In-Class Time Wisely

Separate work separately, collaborative work

collaboratively: Use your time together efficiently.
Put things together as a group
Make sure you have times that you think collectively and
collaborate
Write questions you have for the group down and ask them
 5. Giving Feedback

Feedback comes after PPP to make sure its goal oriented.

Start with compliments
Ask the creator to explain what they like and struggled with
Position good or bad feedback in terms of the product not the
person
Position good or bad feedback in terms of the projects objectives
Praise in public, critique in private
Offer specific suggestions
Give an opportunity to respond
 6. Someone Isnt Pulling Their Weight

1. Speak Up Early. Dont let people get away with not doing their work. The
more you do, they more they wont. The sooner you speak, the less mad
youll be, and the easier the conversation will be.
Dont accuse, ask them what happened and how they see the situation. They may
not have the skill to complete the task or may need further support.
Dont go one-on-one. Speak with the rest of the team before you speak with this
person.
There is no reason to not do work. Even if you have a sick child at home, you still
have to do your job.

2. Give an Opportunity for them to make up work or do extra work on the next
step.

3. Speak to the Boss: If these first 2 steps dont work, then speak to the boss
(me). Make sure you have ample evidence (your objectives list, for
instance, and who was assigned what).
In this class, if I am approached by an anonymous team member(s) that someone
is not doing their work and there is proof of this slacking then that person will
receive 25 points off their teams final grade.