How to Write a Usability Test Script

Usability testing is a crucial step in product development. Without a plan, however, the data you collect from testing may have very little value. Productive usability testing requires a script, which is a step-by-step, word-by-word procedure used to obtain quality feedback.

Instructions

1. At the top of your first script page, write the title of the test or project. Beneath that, write the name of the product (if not the same as the title) and the date (month/year) of the testing. Testing may take place over a period of time, so just use the month and year that testing will begin. Also on the first page, include a space for the facilitator (person giving and helping with the test) and the participant (person testing the product and answering script questions).
   Example:
   Facilitator _________________________
   Participant _________________________
   This first page is considered your cover sheet.

2. On the second page, include a set of pre-test instructions and checklists. These are meant for the facilitator to follow and to ensure that all tests follow the exact same protocol.
   Example:
   Pre-test checklist
   1. Supplies
   __ Usability Testing Script
   __ pen
   __ recorder
   2. Legal and Administrative
   __ Non-disclosure Agreement
   __ Compensation Agreement
   3. Setup
   __ Enclosed, noise-free room
   __ 1 table
   __ x number of chairs
   __ computer
   Review the checklist carefully to ensure that you don't forget something important. You wouldn't want the participant to sit in the room for ten minutes before you realize "product" was not on the checklist.

3. The third page should contain the dialogue that the facilitator will initiate with the participant. This includes an introduction, an explanation of the testing procedures, and an overview of the product. For usability testing, ad libbing is not a good idea. It is okay to deviate slightly from page three's script in order to make the participant comfortable, but you should at least stick to the pre-planned topics. Any feedback you receive from the participant at this point is conversational. The main purpose of this page is to make sure the participant understands the procedure.

4. Now write out your background questions. These are not product feedback questions but questions that define the participant as product user. For example, if your product is a hand lotion, one of the background questions can be, "Do you use hand lotion?" and "What brand of hand lotion do you typically use?" For a software product, you may want to consider, "Do you use a word processing software more than three times a week?" or "What operating system are you most comfortable with?" The answers to these questions will help you categorize your data later to get a better understanding of your product's quality.

5. Now write a set of questions labeled, "First Impressions." This is where you set the product in front of the participant and tell him to do nothing but look at it. Write questions that will produce feedback about the participant's first impression of the product, hands-off.

6. The next section of your script is the task list. You will write down each step as you want it performed by the participant. The tasks will be a combination of commands and questions. You may start with, "Log onto the system" and follow it with "Was the log-on screen easy to navigate?" This is a major data-collecting part of the script, so you will not only need to know how to perform each task but what kind of feedback you are trying to obtain.

7. The final section of your usability testing script is the overall impression page. Ask questions regarding the participant's experience with the product. Did he like the color scheme? What would he change? In his opinion, what was the best feature of the product?

Tips & Warnings

• Discuss and plan the usability testing with your product development team.

• If you are unsure of how a usability testing script should look, you can find a template on the Internet.