To: Mrs.

Emily Baker, Manger of Sprinkle Bakes Blog

From: Raygen K. Bearden
Date: February 24, 2023
Subject: Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Usability Test Report

This report is based on the usability test I performed on the chocolate chip cookie instructions
found on the blog Sprinkle Bakes. For this test, a test subject was asked to follow the instructions
from Sprinkle Bakes to determine if they are misleading or confusing in any way. The subject
was a 43-year-old female who has made chocolate chip cookies before. She had not made
Sprinkle Bakes’ chocolate chip cookies before. The test subject was given the instructions,
ingredients, cooking utensils, and all other material needed to perform the instructions. The
subject was observed during the duration of the test but not assisted in any way. This report
includes the objectives of the usability test, the results, and the recommendations given by the
test participant.
Test objectives are listed below:
 To determine if the instructions have formatting errors that make the recipe challenging
to follow.
 To determine if the instructions are worded in a way that is easy to comprehend.
 To determine if the instructions make successful cookies.

Results
The test subject had positive feedback on the chocolate chip cookie instructions. They performed
the instructions with relative ease and did not appear confused at any time during the test. The
test subject was asked about the areas of strength and areas of improvement in the instructions.
Areas of strength and areas of improvement are listed below:
Areas of Strength
Based on the response by the test participant, the instructions’ area of strength was clarity. They
stated, “Everything was formatted in a way that was easy to understand and follow.” The
participant did not face any issues following these instructions.
Areas of Improvement
The test participant found one area that needed to be improved in the instructions. She stated that
adding images to the instructions would be beneficial. Currently, Sprinkle Bakes only has one
image on the chocolate chip cookie instructions. By adding additional images, the instructions
will be more clear for the user. The test subject stated that although the instructions were easy to
follow for her, they could be more challenging for someone who has never made chocolate chip
cookies before. Though some people know what to look for when making cookies, there are
many who use Sprinkle Bakes’ instructions that have never made cookies before. Adding images
of how certain steps should look could be beneficial for visual learners.

Questionnaire
After the usability test was preformed, we asked the test participant to answer the following
questions about the instructions.
 Did you have any issues following the instructions: “No, the instructions were easy to
follow."
 Did you have any issues with the formatting of the instructions: “I did not. I thought they
were formatted really well.”
 At any point during the test, did you find yourself confused: “I did not.”
 Did you feel like the images used were helpful: “The image that was used looked good,
but I wouldn’t say it was helpful. I think I would add more pictures to the document to
help people who have never made cookies before. I think that could clarify some of steps
for the visual learners.”
 Did you feel like the font(s) used were helpful: “I didn’t really pay much attention to the
font but it definitely was easy to read and didn’t distract me from the directions.”
 Did the headings stand out enough or did they blend in with the rest of the document:
“The heading looked good to me.”
 Since you didn’t have an issue following the instructions, did your cookies turn out:
“Yes! They were very yummy.”

Recommendations
Based on the recommendations the test subject gave on the questionnaire, the only thing that
should be altered in Sprinkle Bakes’ chocolate chip cookie instructions is additional images. This
is something that would be easy to alter. The use of more images in the instructions would
ultimately clarify certain steps for visual learners. For example, step 6 on the instruction
documents, it says “In large spoonful, scoop the cookie dough onto the lined baking sheet.”
People can have very different perceptions of the word “large.” An image showing how large the
cookie dough balls should look could be very beneficial for users. Based on the usability test
results, adding images to the instructions would elevate them above other blogs’ cookie recipes.