Facilitation problems during usability testing

[Rahel Bailie]

Here are some problems I've encountered:

- I have to help them overcome an unforeseen technical problem
unrelated to the software being tested (but that must be overcome in
order to undertake the test), and this act confuses the expectations
of the user about how "helpful" I will be during the remainder of the
exercise

- The participant takes a route in a paper prototype so unexpected
that I become lost, and the momentum is lost during my own
re-orientation

- The participant insists on completing a different task because they
decide the given task doesn't ring true for them

- Participants ask permission to "cheat" when entering data, which
doesn't really matter  (such as whether they earn $30,000 or $200,000)
but then their game becomes to enter ridiculous or random data and
"see what happens" rather than concentrate on the task at hand.

- The participant goes sufficiently fast that I can't read some of my
notes at the end of the test.

On Jan 1, 2008 5:02 PM,  <Chaunsee at aol.com> wrote:
>
> Rolf Molich and I are planning to submit a proposal to a major conference on
> the topic of facilitation problems that can occur during usability testing
> (with a focus on the think-aloud approach).  We're looking at problems
> during the following phases of test facilitation:
>
> We are each creating our own list and also asking colleagues on major
> usability discussion groups what you feel are the most serious problems.
> We'll combine all our lists and then address possible solutions to the most
> common and most serious problems.

> What are facilitation problems have you encountered or observered?

> Chauncey

Rahel Bailie
-- 
Intentional Design Inc.  www.intentionaldesign.ca
Performance improvement for communication products
Content management, content development, user experience
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