Usability Testing

Whenever you create a set of instructions, you will have to test your instructions for usability. Testing a draft of your written instructions can help you see where improvements need to be made. Usability testing is a technique used in user-centered interaction design to evaluate a product by testing it on users. This can be seen as an irreplaceable usability practice, since it gives direct input on how real users use the system. A usability test should be performed on multiple testers for each updated draft of your instructions. The steps listed below will walk you through how to conduct usability testing.

1. Choose testers from a group that represents your audience: Make sure that your testers have similar traits to your intended audience for the instructions. To find testers who will be similar, you may have to ask some preliminary questions to gauge their education and experience. For example, if writing instructions for a beginner audiences, you would not want to test your instructions on an expert audience.
2. Choose how you will evaluate the tester’s performance: In testing instructions, you can use a number of methods. One method would be to have testers follow the “think aloud” method of evaluation where the tester verbalizes everything that is going through their head as they complete the instructions while you take notes. Doing this can help you see if anything is unclear about your instructions.
3. Get feedback: Make sure to look through your notes and ask the tester for clarification and elaboration on the problems they encountered while following the instructions.
4. Edit and revise your instructions: Based on the results, take time to revise your instructions.
5. Conduct another round of usability tests: Once the instructions are revised, you will again want to complete another round of usability tests to ensure the success of your instructions.