The Instruction Set and 

Usability Test of Creating a 

Box-Knot Lanyard 

By Lauren Wasley and Kalle Edwards

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 Table of Contents

Project Management Spreadsheet Pg. 3

Instruction Set Draft Pg. 4-8
Instruction Set Revision Pg. 9-
Usability Test Plan Pg.
Introduction to Testing Pg.
Consent Forms Pg.
Usability Test Results Pg.
Usability Test Report Pg.
Project Management Memo Pg.
Project Management Self-Evaluations Pg.
Team Member Evaluations Pg.

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 Project Management
Spreadsheet

Time-Management Calendar
Goal: Completed:

Choose topic Aug 29 Aug 29

Create Schedule Sept 3 Sept 3
Set deadlines Sept 3 Sept 3
Begin writing instructions Sept 3 Sept 3
Start composing Usability Test Plan Sept 5 Sept 5
Take pictures for instructions & upload Sept 5 Sept 5
Design instruction set with pictures Sept 10 Sept 12
Finish Test plan Sept 12 Sept 17
Perform usability test Sept 17 Sept 19
Make corrections to instruction set Sept 17 Sept 19
Write report Sept 19 Sept 19
Team evaluation sept 24 Sept 22

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 Instruction Set Draft
List of Materials:
● Two strings of plastic lace (different colors)
● A pair of scissors
● Keyring

1. Cut two different colors of 12 inch strands of the plastic lacing.

2. Lay the laces down, then take the center of both strands and
cross them over one another into an “X.”

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 3. Fold both ends of the lightest colored strand over the center to
form two loops.

4. Take one end of the darker strand and fold it over the first loop
of the lighter strand and through the second loop.

5
5. Take the other side of the darker strand and copy the step
above with the other loop.

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​6. Hold the loops so that it forms a square shape.

7. Grab each stand and pull evenly, tightening the knot.

8. Repeat these steps until the lanyard reaches the desired

length.

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9. Cut off the remaining strand length until it is even with the rest
of the lanyard.

10. Take keyring and loop it through the top knot of the lanyard.

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 Instruction Set Revision
1) Cut two e
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

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Making a Box-Knot Lanyard

Usability Test Plan

Kalle Edwards, Lauren Wasley

September 19, 2019

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Document Overview
This document describes a test plan for conducting a usability test during the
development of creating a box-knot lanyard.​ ​The goals of usability testing include
establishing a baseline of user performance, establishing and validating user
performance measures, and identifying potential design concerns to be addressed in
order to improve the efficiency, productivity, and end-user satisfaction.

The usability test objectives are:

● Forming clear instructions to be followed without help.
● Keeping the users engaged and interested in the task.
● Successfully creating a two-colored box-knot lanyard.

This project is recommended for people above the age of eight. The groups that will
participate in the usability test are our group and whoever we are paired with. There
will be two participants per group. The usability test will occur in the classroom on
September 17, 2019.

Executive Summary
The usability test will determine the effectiveness of the Instruction Set to creating a box-knot
lanyard. The goal of the usability test will be to provide an instruction set that is easy enough for
people of ages 8 and older to follow.

Upon review of this usability test plan, including the draft task scenarios and usability goals for the
box-knot lanyard, documented acceptance of the plan is expected.

Methodology
Four users will participate in the usability test which will take place in the classroom.
Each participant will be given an instruction set to follow which will also include photos.
The measures to be collected are making sure that the users stay engaged when
making the product and also receiving feedback based on how clear our instruction set
was.

Participants
The number of participants expected are four people. They will be recruited by a
matching of two different groups of two. There are no expected characteristics or
knowledge required for this test because the main goal is to interest the users by
participating in a craft-making process.

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 The participants' responsibilities will be to attempt to complete a set of representative
task scenarios presented to them in as efficient and timely a manner as possible, and
to provide feedback regarding the usability and acceptability of the user interface. The
participants will be directed to provide honest opinions regarding the usability of the
application, and to participate in post-session subjective questionnaires and debriefing.

The participants do not need to have certain skills and there are no background
requirements for making this lanyard, which will make it easy to select participants.
The instructions should be clear enough for the user to follow without them having any
previous knowledge on the subject. If they have completed a similar craft, they will be
familiar with the evaluation tasks.

Procedure
Participants will take part in the usability test in room 101 at Morgan Hall. During this
test, participants will be observed as they follow the instructions to create a box knot
lanyard.

Participants will sign an informed consent that acknowledges: the participation is

voluntary and that participation can cease at any time. The facilitator will ask the
participant if they have any questions.

Participants will complete a pretest demographic and background information

questionnaire. The facilitator will explain that the amount of time taken to complete
the test task will be measured and that exploratory behavior outside the task flow
should not occur until after task completion. At the start of each task, the participant
will read aloud the task description from the printed copy and begin the task.
Time-on-task measurement begins when the participant starts the task.

The facilitator will instruct the participant to ‘think aloud’ so that a verbal record exists
of their interaction with the project. The facilitator will observe and enter user
behavior, user comments, and system actions in the data logging application​.
After each task, the participant will complete the post-task questionnaire and elaborate
on the task session with the facilitator. After all task scenarios are attempted, the
participant will complete the post-test satisfaction questionnaire.

The facilitator will brief the participant and instruct that he or she is evaluating the
instruction set, rather than the facilitator evaluating the participant. Participants will
complete a pretest demographic and background information questionnaire. Sessions
will begin when all participant questions are answered by the facilitator. The facilitator
will inform the participant that time-on-task will be measured and that exploratory
behavior outside the task flow should not occur until after task completion.

The facilitator will instruct the participant to read aloud the task description from the
printed copy and begin the task. Time-on-task measure will begin. The facilitator will
encourage the participants to ‘think aloud’ and that a verbal record will exist of the

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 task-system interaction. The facilitator will observe and enter user behavior and
comments, and system interaction in a data logging application.

After each task, the participant will complete the post-task questionnaire and elaborate
on the task session. After all tasks have been attempted, the participant will complete
a post-test satisfaction questionnaire.

Roles
The roles involved in a usability test are as follows. An individual may play multiple
roles and tests may not require all roles.

Facilitator
·​ ​Provides overview of study to participants
·​ ​Defines usability and purpose of usability testing to participants
·​ ​Assists in conduct of participant and observer debriefing sessions
·​ ​Responds to participant's requests for assistance

Data Logger
·​ ​Records participant’s actions and comments

Test Observers
·​ ​Silent observer
·​ ​Assists the data logger in identifying problems, concerns, coding bugs, and procedural
errors
·​ ​Serve as note takers.

Test Participants
·​ ​Provides overview of study to participants
·​ ​Defines usability and purpose of usability testing to participants
·​ ​Assists in conduct of participant and observer debriefing sessions
·​ ​Responds to participant's requests for assistance

Ethics
All persons involved with the usability test are required to adhere to the following
ethical guidelines:
·​ ​The performance of any test participant must not be individually
attributable. Individual participant's name should not be used in reference
outside the testing session.
·​ ​A description of the participant's performance should not be reported to
his or her manager.

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 An Introduction to Testing
Welcome and Purpose
Thank you so much for coming in today. We wanted to give you information
about the task you will be performing and give you time to answer/ask
questions before we get started.

Today we are asking you to create a box-knot lanyard with two strings of
plastic lace. Our goal is to see how easy or difficult you find the instructions
that we created.

Test Facilitator’s Role

I am here to record your reactions and comments of the instructions you
will use. During this session, I would like you to think aloud as you work to
complete the tasks. I will not be able to offer any suggestions or hints, but
from time to time, I may ask you to clarify what you have said or ask you for
information on what you were looking for or what you expect to have
happen.

Test Participant’s Role

Today I am going to be asking you to use the instruction set and tell me
how easy or difficult it was to find the information. There is no right or
wrong answer. If you have any questions, comments or areas of confusion
while you are working, please let me know. If you ever feel that you are lost
or cannot complete a task with the information that you have been given,
please let me know. I may ask you questions as we go and we will have
wrap up questions at the end.

Time Needed 12-15 Minutes

Do you have any questions before we begin?

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 Consent Form: Remote Usability Test (Adult)
Please read and sign this form.

During this usability test I agree to participate in an online session using my computer and telephone.
During the session I will be interviewed about the site, asked to find information or complete tasks using
the site and asked to complete an online questionnaire about the experience.

I understand and consent to the use and release of the recording. I understand that the information and
recording are for research purposes only and that my name and image will not be used for any other
purpose. I relinquish any rights to the recording and understand the recording may be copied and used
without further permission.

I understand that participation is voluntary and I agree to immediately raise any concerns I might have.

If you have any questions after today, please contact Kalle Edwards or Lauren Wasley.

Please sign below to indicate that you have read and understand the information on this form and that
any questions you might have about the session have been answered.

Date:_________

Please print your name: ____________________________________________________

Please sign your name: ____________________________________________________

Subject's Signature or eSignature <your name>

Thank you!

We appreciate your participation.

​Test: Creating a Box-Knot Lanyard __/__/__ to __/__/__

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 Consent Form: Remote Usability Test (Adult)
Please read and sign this form.

During this usability test I agree to participate in an online session using my computer and telephone.
During the session I will be interviewed about the site, asked to find information or complete tasks using
the site and asked to complete an online questionnaire about the experience.

I understand and consent to the use and release of the recording. I understand that the information and
recording are for research purposes only and that my name and image will not be used for any other
purpose. I relinquish any rights to the recording and understand the recording may be copied and used
without further permission.

I understand that participation is voluntary and I agree to immediately raise any concerns I might have.

If you have any questions after today, please contact Kalle Edwards or Lauren Wasley.

Please sign below to indicate that you have read and understand the information on this form and that
any questions you might have about the session have been answered.

Date:_________

Please print your name: ____________________________________________________

Please sign your name: ____________________________________________________

Subject's Signature or eSignature <your name>

Thank you!

We appreciate your participation.

​Test: Creating a Box-Knot Lanyard __/__/__ to __/__/__

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 Usability Test Participant 1

Steps Easy Moderate Difficult Comments

10

Duration:

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 Usability Test Participant 2

Steps Easy Moderate Difficult Comments

10

Duration:

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Usability Report
September 22, 2019
To: Dr. Presnall
From: Lauren Wasley and Kalle Edwards
Dear Dr. Presnall:

It is my pleasure to present the data for the box-knot lanyard Instruction Set and Usability Test.
This usability test had participants form a box-knot lanyard using the instruction set we
provided. The participants were given an orientation overview to the instructions. The orientation
instructed the participants to think aloud as they worked through the instruction set. After each
instruction step, the participant was asked to fill out a usability report rating each step Easy,
Moderate, or Difficult. The option to write comments was also available for each step. After the
test, the facilitator discussed with the participant about any questions, comments, concerns, or
recommendations they had to better the instruction set.

The testing was to ensure the quality of the Instruction Set for the box-knot lanyard. The testing
was designed to:
● Check the layout of the instruction set
● Analyze the description of the steps
● Ensure the steps were clear to follow for the completion of the lanyard

Summary
During the usability test a few problems arose. The following problems were observed:
● No warning label
● Certain words needed to be bolded for better understanding

The following proved to be clear and successful:

● Clear and simple steps
● The pictures were clear and useful

Conclusion
In conclusion, the errors in the box-knot lanyard instruction set were minimal. They were
mainly formatting problems and we resolved them fairly quickly.

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Project Management Memo
To: Dr. Presnall
From: Kalle Edwards and Lauren Wasley
Subject: Project Management Process
Date: 22 September 2019

The purpose of this memo is to track the progress of the Instruction Set and Usability Test
project. The goal is to successfully log each step of the process and to log when it is completed.

Summary
Our Usability Test and Instruction Set were completed by us assigning ourselves tasks that kept
us on track.

Discussion
We both worked on the Instruction Set together as we chose how to word each step, created the
Usability Test instructions, and created the report. The tasks handled by Lauren Wasley
specifically were:
● Taking pictures of each step to provide an example
● Creating the box-knot lanyard
● Providing the consent forms
The tasks handled by Kalle specifically were:
● Writing the revised Instruction Set
● Providing the team-member evaluation forms
We edited each other’s work on the project through Google Docs. This made the process easier
when it came to completing our tasks.

Recommendations
We created a revised Instruction Set after receiving feedback on how clear our instructions were.
Even though we have already conducted our Usability Test, we are continuing to revise our
project to make it seem more interesting than it already is.

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SELF-EVALUATION FORM
Your name: Kalle Edwards

Date: September 24, 2019

Title of the project: Creating a Box-Knot Lanyard

Instructions
On this form, record and evaluate your own involvement in this project. In the
Log section, record the activities you performed as an individual and those you
performed as part of the group. For all activities, record the date and the number
of hours you spent. In the Evaluation section, write two brief statements: one
about aspects of your contribution you think were successful and one about the
aspects you want to improve.

Log Date Number of

Individual Activities Hours

- Wrote Instructions 9/3 1

- Team member evaluation Forms 9/5 1

Activities as Part of Team Date Number of

Hours

- Usability Test plan 9/12 1

- Project Planning 9/3 1

1
- Choose topic 8/29

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Evaluation
Aspects of My Participation That Were Successful

My knowledge on how to create a box-knot lanyard with plastic lace was beneficial
because it made the process of creating the instruction set easier.

Aspects of My Participation That I Want to Improve in the Future

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SELF-EVALUATION FORM

Your name: Lauren Wasley

Date: 9/17/19

Title of the project: Creating a Box-Knot Lanyard

Instructions
On this form, record and evaluate your own involvement in this project. In the
Log section, record the activities you performed as an individual and those you
performed as part of the group. For all activities, record the date and the number
of hours you spent. In the Evaluation section, write two brief statements: one
about aspects of your contribution you think were successful and one about the
aspects you want to improve.

Log Date Number of

Individual Activities Hours

- Consent Forms 9/10 1

- Took pictures for instruction set 9/10 1

- Created the box-knot lanyard 9/10 1

Activities as Part of Team Date Number of

Hours

-Usability Test Plan 9/12 1

-Project Planning 9/3 1

-Chose Topic 8/29 1

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Evaluation
Aspects of My Participation That Were Successful

My knowledge on how to create a box-knot lanyard with plastic lace was beneficial
because it made the process of creating the instruction set easier.

Aspects of My Participation That I Want to Improve in the Future

I would like to improve my skills of creating a memo so that I will be able to create future
memos with ease.

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TEAM-MEMBER EVALUATION FORM

Your name: Lauren Wasley

Title of the project: Creating a Box-Knot Lanyard

Date: 09/22/19

Criteria Kalle Edwards

1.​ ​Regularly attends meetings 1. 10

2. 10
2.​ ​Is prepared at the meetings
3. 10
3.​ ​Meets deadlines 4. 10
4.​ ​Contributes good ideas in 5. 10
meetings 6. 10
7. 10
5.​ ​Contributes ideas 8. 10
diplomatically 9. 10
6.​ ​Submits high-quality work 10. 10

7.​ ​Listens to other members

8.​ ​Shows respect for other
members
9.​ ​Helps to reduce conflict
10.​ ​Your overall assessment of
this person’s contribution

Total Points 100

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TEAM-MEMBER EVALUATION FORM

Your name: Kalle Edwards

Title of the project: Creating a Box-Knot Lanyard

Date: 09/22/19

Team
Members

Criteria
Lauren
Wasley

1.​ ​Regularly attends meetings 1. 10

2.​ ​Is prepared at the meetings 2. 10
3.​ ​Meets deadlines 3. 10
4.​ ​Contributes good ideas in 4.10
meetings
5.​ ​Contributes ideas
5. 10
diplomatically
6.​ ​Submits high-quality work
6.10
7.​ ​Listens to other members
7.10
8.​ ​Shows respect for other
members 8.10

9.​ ​Helps to reduce conflict 9.10

10.​ ​Your overall assessment of 10.10

this person’s contribution

Total Points 100

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Pre-test questions:

1. Does creating a craft like this interest you?

2. When was the last time you completed a DIY craft?

3. On a scale of 1-10, how much does this activity interest you?

Post-test questions:

1. How clear and easy to follow were the instructions? Circle one:
very clear clear unclear

2. Which step was the most difficult?

3. How likely are you to complete another DIY craft again?

4. Did you enjoy this craft?

5. Do you have any further questions?

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