Usability testing involves having users complete typical tasks on a website or prototype to evaluate its usability. Many organizations do not conduct usability testing due to perceived costs and time requirements. However, usability testing can verify that content meets users' needs, test information architecture, and help focus product development. The document provides examples of usability testing methods, tools, and how to design an effective test using an association's website as a sample.

1. SharePoint and Usability Testing: Why Aren’t We Doing It? Chris Poteet Portal Solutions @chrispoteetpro www.siolon.com

2. What Is Usability Testing?

3. Definition “[O]ne user at a time is shown something (whether it’s a Web site, a prototype of a site, or some sketches of individual pages) and asked to either (a) figure out what it is, or (b) try to use it to do a typical task.” - Steve Krug

4. Why Aren’t We Doing Usability Testing?

5. Why Not? Perceived Cost

6. Why Not? Perceived Time

7. Why Not? Misinformation

8. Why Should We DoUsability Testing?

9. Why? Verify Content Utility

10. Why? Test Information Architectures

11. Why? Meets Business’ Needs

12. Why? Settles Debates/Resets Focus

13. Why? Gives Perspective

14. Types of Usability Testing

15. Types Moderated A participant is guided by a present moderator. Unmoderated/Self-Moderated A participant is given a task list and allowed to work alone.

16. Types Local A participant is in the same room as the moderator. Remote A participant either does the test on their own time or over remote technology

17. Tools for Usability Testing

18. Tools: Moderated & Remote

19. Tools: Moderated/Unmoderated & Local

20. Tools: Unmoderated & Remote

21. Putting Together a Usability Test

22. Designing a Test Discover Content/Activity Emphasis

23. Designing a Test Create Test Questions

24. Designing a Test Find Participants

25. Designing a Test Test Early and Often

26. Sample Usability Test

27. Sample Test Association of the United States Army

28. Sample Test Content Emphasis Conferences Headline News Membership Benefits

29. Sample Test User Tasks Find a chapter close to you What does AUSA do and what services do they provide? Locate the schedule for a recent annual meeting What are the benefits of a membership? What phone number would I use to ask questions? Discover an upcoming conference that interests you

30. Designing a Test View Video

31. Sample Test Tester’s Comments Couldn’t find city for all results Same results showed up for search / dropdown About us page for chapter is blank She was lost in chapter sites She never found schedule and didn't notice left hand links She was overwhelmed with the directory. No main number Found main number after a while She had no idea how to navigate to the conference result she got

32. Sample Test Suggestions Add city to chapter results Order by distance away from zip code In chapter sites use global navigation and move ancillary navigation Why does "chapter activities" take you to chapter search page? Add main contact number to contact page. Remove needlessly long list. Add synonym for conference to search and possibly a best bet

33. Sample Test $39

34. Chris Poteet Portal Solutions @chrispoteetpro www.siolon.com