Design / Usability video

How to Conduct a Simple Usability Test - with Kim Krause Berg (6:39) Dr. Ralph F. Wilson , Web Marketing Today - Oct 4, 2011

In this video interview, usability expert Kim Krause Berg explains how any small business person can conduct a useful and revealing usability test.

You begin by sitting a subject from your target audience in front of a computer. You'll need to set them at ease, as this might be stressful for them.

Then assign a simple task -- search for something, buy something, etc. You could have them start from your homepage, or test a landing page this way.

In your preliminary instructions ask them to talk about what they're experiencing, why they're clicking, etc. But keep your own mouth shut. Instead of relieving their frustration, listen, observe, and take notes.

For example, you may observe people's confusion when placing social media buttons too close to a task-oriented button, such as a search or buy button.

Twenty to 30 minutes is a good maximum time for a session, says Berg. People get tired, since there's a fair amount of stress associated with this kind of exercise.

Kim Krause Berg is the SEO and usability web design manager at LiBeck Integrated Marketing (www.libekim.com), a start-up company that helps clients with social media, usability, SEO, and PPC for companies from small to large. This interview was recorded on August 17, 2011 at the SES Conference in San Francisco.