A Practical Guide to Usability Testing

by Joseph S. Dumas, Janice G. Redish

In this volume, the authors begin by defining usability, advocating and explaining the methods of usability engineering and reviewing many techniques for assessing and assuring usability throughout the development process. They then follow all the steps in planning and conducting a usability test, analyzing data, and using the results to improve both products and processes.
This book is simply written and filled with examples from many types of products and tests. It discusses the full range of testing options from quick studies with a few subjects to more formal tests with carefully designed controls. The authors discuss the place of usability laboratories in testing as well as the skills needed to conduct a test.
Included are forms to use or modify to conduct a usability test, as well as layouts of existing labs that will help the reader build his or her own.

Genres: Usability, Design, Research, Programming, Business

404 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Garrett]

It took me a long time to get through this volume. Not that it wasn't useful, but it was very dense information and it was not extraordinarily entertaining to read straight through. I think it will work very well as a reference source from this point on, however.

The authors provided lots of good research and practical application. I thought it was organized well, too.

Although it was published some time ago, most of the information was still relevant.

[Juan Falgueras cano]

A great resource on the subject. Full off references and clear and well structured!

Perhaps a bit outdated.