Issues to Consider | Developing User Interfaces for Microsoft Windows

Here are a few more issues you should consider in the user testing process.

Egoless User Testing

You need to decide whether you should personally perform user testing on your own user interface designs. The problem is that there is a natural conflict of interest: the goal of user testing is to reveal problems in a user interface, whereas your natural tendency is to defend your work. If you want to be a successful user interface designer, you have to learn to accept criticism. That said, it can be a humiliating experience to watch someone trash your work. It might be better to have someone else conduct the user testing for your user interfaces. At least until you get used to it.

TIP
It can be a humiliating experience to watch someone trash your work. Consider having someone else conduct the user testing for your user interfaces.

Attitude

Whether or not you personally run the tests, you're going to receive feedback and most of that feedback isn't going to be good. After all, the goal of user testing is to find problems. Your response to criticism is primarily a question of attitude. Remember, if test users find problems in your user interface, they are doing you a big favor. Look at the bright side: It's better to have a couple of random people know about your mistakes than the whole world. Users are going to test your interfaces one way or another.

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Lighten up! Test users are doing you a big favor when they find problems in your user interfaces.

If test users find problems with your user interface, it isn't their fault. User interfaces are for users. If users can't use them, it is the user interface that has failed, not the user. Don't blame the problems on the test users.

Videotaping

Should you bother to videotape the testing? That depends upon who is present during the testing and who needs to review the testing. If you're not using a usability lab with a one-way mirror, only one person should directly witness the testing. After all, you don't want a gang of people standing over the test user's shoulder. For egoless user testing, you might not want that person to be one of the developers, but the developers do need to see the results. There is nothing quite like the experience of watching test users struggle with an "intuitive" user interface to make it clear that the interface needs more work. Making a videotape of the test is a cheap and easy way to make a record of the test that you can review at any time. While you probably won't watch the entire tape if you witnessed the test, there may be times when you need to go back and review the tape to check for missing details.

On the other hand, if you have been through the user testing process several times and developed a thick enough skin to conduct the tests directly, you can simplify the testing process by not using a video camera. It is less work for you, and test users will find it easier to relax without a video camera present.

If for any reason you want to record the tests but you can't use a video camera, note that an audio tape recorder also works reasonably well. Just make sure that the test users think out loud, and the audio tape will contain useful information.

User-Testing the Setup Program

As I discuss in Chapter 33, "Check Your Setup Program" you should consider the setup program's user interface to be part of your program's user interface. Unless installing the program is unusually time-consuming or the program is one that the test user wouldn't normally install (such as network software), you should consider testing the setup program by making the program setup the first task in the test.