Demystifying Usability Tests: Learning the Basics

Christine Perfetti, User Interface Engineering

Length: 90 Minutes

Price: $129.00 (includes handout)

Would you like to have lifetime access to the most groundbreaking thinking in the world of Experience Design? Instead of traveling to a training course, you and your colleagues can hear the latest insights on the most important design topics right from your office.

Watching a UIE Virtual Seminar couldn't be simpler. You'll view the presentation in your web browser and listen to it with your computer speakers. (We've tested the seminar using Firefox and Internet Explorer on both Macs and PCs with great success.) All you'll need is a web browser equipped with the Macromedia Flash Player (version 6 or newer) and a connection to the Internet.

Seminar Description

Usability testing is a powerful tool. It guides the design of products. It informs us on the behaviors and expectations of users. And, it gives teams a way to measure how close they are to achieving their goals.

Most companies, universities, and government agencies are regularly conducting usability tests. But many clients tell us they need help. Every week we hear questions like these: Are we getting the most out of every test? Are we as prepared as we should be? Is our design team receiving the information they need from the test results? How many users should we test?

To get the most out of every usability test and make the biggest impact on your designs, here’s your opportunity to learn the essential fundamentals of usability testing. UIE's Christine Perfetti has put together a fabulous Virtual Seminar designed explicitly to share the basics of usability testing. As one of the premier usability experts in the field, Christine has helped dozens of companies and agencies bring usability testing into their processes. If you're just starting out with usability tests, you'll learn insightful tips and effective techniques from her years of experience.

In this session, you'll learn:

How to set up your usability testing lab, including an overview of User Interface Engineering's typical test set-up
How to recruit the right users to get the most accurate test results
How many users are really necessary for a usability test
The basics of task design, including the different types of tasks: verb-based tasks, scavenger hunt tasks, and interview-based tasks
How to become a better facilitator including how to communicate with the users and the test observers
How to collect the test results and evaluate what makes an effective report
The fundamentals of remote usability testing

Who Should Attend

This is a wonderful usability testing refresher. It's perfect for product managers, designers, engineers, and technical writers who are just starting out with usability tests. Or, if you have already conducted some tests but want to share this information with your team, this seminar is a great way to get your colleagues onboard.

Instructor Biography

Christine Perfetti is the Managing Director of User Interface Engineering, responsible for overseeing User Interface Engineering's operations and business strategy initiatives. As one of UIE's most requested instructors, Christine has worked with dozens of companies on their toughest web design problems. With her extensive knowledge of human factors and usability testing practices, Christine has been a top-rated presenter at the User Interface Conference, CHI 2001-2005, the Usability Professionals' Association Conference, and STC regional events. She has also taught Human Factors at the Tufts University Gordon Institute for Engineering Management.

Christine previously worked at Fidelity Investments, where she was an influential member of their highly-talented instructional design team. She received her Master’s degree in Social/Experimental Psychology from Brown University and her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester.

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