User Experience Re-Mastered Your Guide to Getting the Right Design- P7: Good user interface design isn't just about aesthetics or using the latest technology. Designers also need to ensure their product is offering an optimal user experience. This requires user needs analysis, usability testing, persona creation, prototyping, design sketching, and evaluation through-out the design and development process. | 286 User Experience Re-Mastered Your Guide to Getting the Right Design THE PILOT TEST Before any actual evaluation sessions are conducted you should run a pilot test as a way of evaluating your evaluation session and to help ensure that it will work. It is a process of debugging or testing the evaluation material the planned time schedule the suitability of the task descriptions and the running of the session. Participants for Your Pilot Test You can choose a participant for your pilot test in the same way as for your actual evaluation. However in the pilot test it is less important that the participant is completely representative of your target user group and it is more important that you feel confident about practicing with him or her. Your aim in the pilot test is to make sure that all the details of the evaluation are in place. Design and Assemble the Test Environment Try to do your pilot test in the same place as your evaluation or in a place that is as similar as possible. Assemble all the items you need Computer equipment and prototype or your paper prototype. Keep a note of the version you use. Your evaluation script and other materials. Any other props or artifacts you need such as paper and pens for the participants. The incentives if you are offering any. If you are using video or other recording equipment then make sure that you practice assembling it all for the pilot test. As you put it together make a list of each item. There is nothing more aggravating than forgetting some vital part of your equipment. Run the Pilot Test Run the pilot participant through the evaluation procedure and all the supporting materials. The session should be conducted in the same way as the actual evaluation session. Ideally the evaluator s who will conduct the actual evaluation session should participate in the pilot test. They should observe take notes and facilitate the pilot test just as they would do in the actual session. For example they should consider the .
