Essay paper

A Usability test typically has 3-4 main components:

A preamble, establishing scope, goals+ audience of the test + overview of the protocols/procedures. (this is what you say before the test)
A consent form, for your user to sign (this is often the preamble itself)
A Test Script (this is the test process itself, scripted for the facilitator to read)
Equipment (sometimes products or components to build something, and sometimes just a computer + paper/pen for taking notes)

Composing your User Test PREAMBLE and Consent form:

Step #1 Know What Script’s Preamble should do (and establish a # of goals, scope, audience, etc.)
In your preamble you will need to establish the following, which you should have established in your plan. Ensure you have a good general sense of:

Time and Scope: The average user test should take approximately 15-20 minutes for an average user to complete. There are exceptions.

Purpose and type of test: Some of us established very clear articulations of goals in our planning work, but make sure, today, we have a very good sense of purposes for the test. The best goal is to arrange for a performance test, where readers will actually perform the process in your set of instructions. If it is not feasible to arrange a performance test (e.g., if your instructions describe how to survive a zombie apocalypse), we have to plan, and compose for a formal location test or an understandability test. Remember that the main goal conducting a usability test is: PRIMARY RESEARCH about your users behavior as readers and/or users, and the usability of your instructions.
Audience/Participants: Identify 2-3 people to serve as your test readers and arrange for them to be tested independently. Ideally, test readers should have varying degrees of experience (ranging in skill level, from novice to expert).
Equipment, Scenarios, and Metrics: This is where most of us need more work. We need to finish planning and FORMALIZING a procedure or script with questions, scenarios and metrics that produces some sort of data collection artifact (the evidence and primary research that resulted from your test) which can be submitted as an appendix along with a Memo explaining your test (which we’ll review briefly later).

Step #2 select a “preamble” to use as template to remix and paraphrase. I recommend copying one of the following ‘scripts’ and then changing elements and citing what’s left the same.

From Wayne State Composition, me: Grogan SampleScript.docx
From The Web Editor’s Handbook
https://sensible.com/downloads/test-script.pdf

Step #3, Revise/Change the preamble so it states YOUR goals for your test, and include this in formal prose in this first section of your Preamble.

With all tests, you state your obvious PURPOSE/goal, which is to discover whether the user:
gets the point of the page(s)
understands the navigation system
can guess where to find things.
can follow your instructions through to completion (or select completion) of tasks
In a general (location and understandability) tests you MAY want to establish a less obvious goal of knowing:
how do users interact with the web site you are testing?
what is difficult for people to do?
where do they get lost?
what makes sense to them?
what makes them feel distrustful or insecure?
what do they like and what do they dislike?
In a specific (location or performance) tests you might want to know, for example:
can the user perform or accomplish a key task?
can the user find something specific?

Step #4, check your Preamble to be sure that it includes all of the following required components:

The preamble establishes the Purpose or goals of the test (performance, understandability, and/or location), and a brief explanation about why these are your goals?
The preamble states necessary Roles and Definitions (which establishes key roles in the test, and clarifies any key or unfamiliar definitions)?
Facilitator: the person who is guiding the user through the test, and taking notes.
Observer: someone else observing the test, if necessary
Owner: the owner of the web site.
Web site development team: everyone involved with developing the web site including the strategy group, designers, programmers, stakeholders, etc.
Usability: this generally means the extent to which the intended user can meet his or her goals using the website being tested.
Users: different persons who use the web site in a usability test.
Definitions: clarify any key terms, and do so with more detail for novice users
The preamble states the Scope of Test (clearly states the estimated time required to do the test)?
The preamble offers reminders about how the test only works if users consistently think aloud, and how the test includes think aloud protocols/reminders?
The preamble states that Consent is Required, and offers the Informed Consent Form for signature? This consent form can be the preamble itself)?