> I'm sure we all have opinions on how things are supposed to work, but is there
> really anybody who tests software or hardware, who watches potential users as
> they operate a given system, to make sure the average Joichi can use it on the
> first go? Jeurgen, your company doesn't do usability testing for keitai as
> much as it tests that applis/imode just display correctly across the various
> handsets??
We don't do usability testing for Keitai, but on application level
(i-appli, i-mode/j-sky sites).
Just to explain how it works: A client has an application/site, a
possible target group and a goal. So we take his application apart and
find the most irritating and "standard" mistakes first, than we look
if our network of testers (housewives, teenagers, students, office
ladies, etc) we work with already fit into the target group, if not we
hire some random users from the street:
http://nooper.co.jp/showcase/gallery.php?s=25&l=en
and let them play with/use the application. We ask a lot of questions,
but the most important part are not the answers, it is to distract
them while we WATCH them using the application.
Just by watching you can see so much problems with sites/applications.
Our experience ends up in a report and we suggest changes to the
operators.
I have no time to go into much details now, but again, the most
important part is to WATCH people performing tasks with
handsets/applications/sites.
Even if you ask your biassed girlfriend for her opinion, she can tell
you nice flattering things, but by watching her using it you can find
out if she really gets it or not.
Personally I prefer working with female testers, because they not
always use applications logical (which has their own logic) while
men tend to be more like trainable monkeys ;)
Juergen
--
Juergen Specht, CTO, Nooper.com - Mobile Services Inc., Tokyo, Japan
i-mode & FOMA consulting, development, testing: http://nooper.co.jp
Check Nooper, your little intelligent email buddy: http://nooper.com
Received on Sun Jun 15 03:47:02 2003