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Krugs Rocket Surgery

Made Easy
Questions and Considerations for Tech Writing
Dr. Will Kurlinkus
wkurlinkus@gmail.com
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Why Write a Usability Proposal?
UX Readings: The UX Research
Plan that Stakeholders Love and
Stop Writing Project Proposals
Goals:
1. Clients want to see what
youre going to do before you
do it. (Good practice for job
interviewswhat can you
contribute).
2. You need to prove to clients
that they have problems and
you know how to fix them.
3. Evaluation vs. Proposal: You
dont want to give too much
awayyou want to show you
know there problems, clients,
major goals, and how to solve
them, but you dont want to
give away solutions.


Questions
Why create a usability
proposal?
Whats the difference
between and evaluation and
a proposal?
What are you proposing?

In This Class
Evaluate: Identify (users,
purposes, flaws, alternatives)
Propose: Why should we do
a usability test? What is a
usability test? Whats next?



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Preface & Chapter 1
Terms: Usability, Usefulness,
User-Friendly
Basic Protocol:
Tasks: Were testing two
common tasks (as scenarios)
on the site.
Participants: Were testing
two participants (your friends)
at these tasks.
Recording
Whats best?
Think aloud

Questions
What is usability testing?
When and why might you use
it?
Examples: Nielsen Families;
Ebola Form
Is the test we are running
quantitative vs. qualitative?
In This Class
2 participants+2 scenarios
Were using 3 recording
devices: Screen capture
(QuickTime or CamStudio) and
two external cameras I provide.
Youll also have notetakers
present at the test.

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Chapter 3: Krugs Sample Video
Steps in Krugs Usability Video
1. Introduce yourself, read a
disclaimer, has the participant
sign a waiver so that you can
use the data
Normally, you need an
IRB/permission--which asks
people to use their name and
experience in publications/for
monetary purposes.
2. Explain the process: What are
they going to be doing
generally? What do you want
them to say?
3. Gather bio info: Should be
similar to a user persona.
Helps to compare to that ideal
user and/or user types.


Questions
Why is it important to
introduce yourself?
What types of things do
you want your users to
say?
What is important and
unimportant info?
What types of bio info
should you gather?
In This Class
Should you have a
disclaimer?
What should you prepare
for this introduction?


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Chapter 3: Krugs Sample Video
4. Basic concept check
Check and see if the basic concept of the website is clear: What do you
think about the site? What is it for? What's the content? What's
interesting or confusing? What types of things would you do on this
site?
5. Scenarios
Provide a printed copy.
Create a scenario that is related to the task. Put the user in a story.
Word problem almost. Make the scenario around what you predict pre-
existing problems might be and common tasks.
While the participant is speaking allowed if you want more info or
deeper descriptions your job is to ask.
Check the bottom line: summarize at the end of the task and ask them if
your summary is correct. Don't necessarily take their word for it but get
the summary anyway.


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Chapter 3 & 4
Master Plan
Multiple rounds of testing
1 round of testing=three
users
Do three tests and debrief
with partners
Recruit loosely
Prep Work
What to test? Choose what
you think is a bad site.
Choose two common tasks
the average user would want
to perform on that site.
Protocol task list/scenarios
Choose a date and time and
schedule yourselves and the
people: Use doodle surveys

In This Class
Does everyone need to be
there for the session?
What should different people
be doing during the session?
Who are your subjects? How
many?
Your writing a more formal
lab report than Krug suggests
because, well, this is
technical writing.

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Chapter 3 & 4
When to start usability testing?
What are you testing? What are the benefits of each:
Your site,
Your competitors site,
A wireframe (sketch of a site).



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Chapter 5
Test Participants:.
You dont need to necessarily
test ideal users because even
your ideal users arent often
ideal users; they also may be
too experienced with the pre-
existing site (outsiders
perspective)
Three is enough
Avoid insiders who know too
much about the company and
website
What do you need to tell
people you are recruiting? How
might you make a sign or flyer?
What info? Have a substitute
available
Ideally we would do multiple
rounds of testingwith multiple
users. Were not.

Questions
Who are the participants for
your test? How many? What
type? How do you find them?
How do you compensate
them?

For This Class
For this class we are simply
using two of your friends.
Ideally these friends would
somehow be close to your
average user persona, but
they dont have to be
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Chapters 6 & 7
Protocol
Whats the difference between tasks vs. scenarios?
How to make tasks into scenarios?: One thing to avoid: using
the same words as links, web headings, etc. on the site. Dont
give clues where to find things.
Limitations: Dont use the search function, stay on the site. Provide
print sheets for the participants and the observers. The participant
scenarios should be on separate sheets of paper. Why?
Checklists: What do you need to prepare now. Think of a place
where you will be doing this testing, participants, and time slots
where team members can be available.