Yesterday, Dan and I were reviewing some interface design tweaks we're planning for MailChimp, and he made the comment, "We should really do our usability testing with a beer in one hand." The idea here is that a user should be able to walk through our interface and not have to focus too hard or read too many instructions to get stuff done (reminds me of: Don't Make Me Think!). In my experience watching people interact with websites, that's pretty much the state of mind they're in.
Web designers (like us) sometimes fall into the habit of assuming our users are super-focused, and determined to accomplish some specific goal with our websites. As if the typical user is sitting down in his Aeron chair, cracking his knuckles, and saying, "Ok, now I really want to learn this CMS interface! Oh cool! Bread-crumb navigation! I'm really going to navigate the hell outta this site!"
Truth is, they probably got to the website by accident. Maybe they clicked on some pretty picture on some web page, or their friend sent a link to them in an email. They're probably going to give you one minute of their time to click around, then go back to buying stuff on eBay or checking email.
So the "beer in one hand" technique is a darn good idea for usability testing. Actually, if you really want to simulate real life conditions, go ahead and drink a couple before sitting down at the computer. When the screen starts to get blurry, that's when you start clicking.
Web designers (like us) sometimes fall into the habit of assuming our users are super-focused, and determined to accomplish some specific goal with our websites. As if the typical user is sitting down in his Aeron chair, cracking his knuckles, and saying, "Ok, now I really want to learn this CMS interface! Oh cool! Bread-crumb navigation! I'm really going to navigate the hell outta this site!"
Truth is, they probably got to the website by accident. Maybe they clicked on some pretty picture on some web page, or their friend sent a link to them in an email. They're probably going to give you one minute of their time to click around, then go back to buying stuff on eBay or checking email.
So the "beer in one hand" technique is a darn good idea for usability testing. Actually, if you really want to simulate real life conditions, go ahead and drink a couple before sitting down at the computer. When the screen starts to get blurry, that's when you start clicking.
