Don't give them any buttons or links that don't work or matter Don't give them an ugly or flashy design Don't give a demo tour of the app to them Don't ask them to play with it (unless it's a game) Don't jump in and help them when confused Don't ask if they liked it
Do get a few testers immediately Do give them several task scenarios (on paper) Do watch Do record or take notes Afterwards, ask them for the 3 best things they saw the 3 worst things they saw Do look at these slides by the Center for Plain Language
BEFORE: Write everything out in advance Scenarios, app overview, pre / post surveys, waivers, ... DURING: Shut up and watch Don't tell them what to do Answer questions with questions Let them fail -- see if they can recover AFTER: Analyze categorize and tally mistakes, confusions, hesitation, ... focus on most critical and common problems
Brief background on context and problem It's 5:30pm you're at the main library you're late for a team meeting in Tech you're really hungry Specify the goals to be achieved You want to find the nearest open dining hall with something vegan