Script for Low-Fi Usability Testing

Hello.  Our names are Mary, Susanne, and Shirley.  We are Masters students in the School of Info Management and Systems.  We’ll be working with you in today’s session.  Let me explain to you why we’ve asked you to come in today.

We’re here to test how easy it is to use our product, BESS, a book exchange site for SIMS students, and we’d like your help.  BESS is designed to make it easy for SIMS students to get in touch with other SIMS students who are selling books.  This isn’t an e-commerce site: rather, it’s a site where all postings for books on sale are located online where SIMS students can easily find a seller.

You will be performing some typical tasks with a paper prototype of BESS, and I’d like you to perform as you normally would with a real computer.  For example, try to work with the same speed and the same attention to detail that you normally do.  Do your best, but don’t be all that concerned with results.

This is a test of BESS, still in prototype form, and it may not work as you expect.  You may ask questions at any time, but I may not answer them, since this is a study of the product and we need to see how it works with a person such as yourself working independently.

During today’s session, I’ll ask you to complete a consent form.  I will also ask you to try to think aloud, explaining what you’re thinking as you’re doing it.  It is really important that you tell us what you truly think.  My only role here today is to discover both the flaws and advantages of this product from your perspective.  If the system has major problems, we really need to know what they are, so we can fix them.

While you are working, one person will be “playing computer” and another will be taking notes on your actions.  If it’s okay with you, we might take a picture of your hands working with the system.

Playing computer means that a person will move the paper screens around, as though the computer were actually changing.  If you want to click on an item, point to it with your finger and the screen will change.  If you want to type, point to the box you want to type in, and tell me what you’d type.

Don’t speak to the person playing computer.  You can address all your questions to me.

If you feel uncomfortable at any time, you can stop the test.

Do you have any questions?  If not, let’s begin by having you sign the test agreement.

There are a total of three tasks.  Are you ready for the first task?

Task One:

You want to use BESS to compare prices for books required by two courses, IS 213 and IS 214.  At the end of this task, you should be able to write down the books required for each class and the lowest price for each. (Give task card to subject). Here’s a card to remind yourself of what the task is.

Great!  Let’s move on to task two!

Task Two:

You want to use BESS to find someone who’s selling a book called “GUI Bloopers” and contact them.

Great!  Let’s move on to the final task!

Task Three:

You want to use BESS to post a book called “Understanding Networked Applications” for sale.  After that, you want to find someone who’s selling “Usability Engineering” and contact him or her to arrange a sale.

Thanks!  Now we’ll have a short debriefing session when you can tell us how you felt about today’s session.