How do you undergo usability testing with paper prototypes?

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<h1>How do you undergo usability testing with paper prototypes?</h1><strong> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Martin Metz.aspx'>Martin Metz</a></strong><br /><p>When thinking of applying paper prototyping to test the usability of your interface design you have to arrange a workshop for users and developers to attend. The users that are invited to attend should be representative of the intended customer of your product meaning you have to identify them before recruiting them for testing. Tasks, or use cases, have to be designed for users to go through before you can create the paper prototypes. Go through the paper prototypes in-house prior to usability testing. During usability testing you will need a good facilitator, a person to take note of issues raised and someone to play the part of the computer (simulating the response of the program to user actions). After testing go through any issues raised in order to revise the prototypes for the next test. At the end of the process communicate the results to the rest of the team. It is advisable to record sessions with audio or video equipment for later analysis and archival purposes. What are the four stages of paper prototyping? Paper prototyping is applied using four different stages which serve different purposes. The first stage of paper prototyping is the concept design stage. This stage of paper prototyping is when you brainstorm different approaches and strategies with a view of learning which thereof fulfills the targeted usability requirements. The interaction design stage of paper prototyping is when you organize the structure of your different interface designs. Affinity diagrams are used to sort out the interface designs into clusters of similarity in order to better make sense of the large amounts of data. The screen design stage of paper prototyping is used for the initial graphical user interface designs. The screen testing stage of paper prototyping is used for the refinement of user interface designs. What are the limitations of paper prototyping? As with everything in life, paper prototyping also has its limitations. A human being looking for the appropriate print out as he tries to play the role of the computer is not equal to the latter. The main drawback with paper prototyping has a lot to do with the fact that it is on paper. Paper is static and not truly interactive. A hyperlink on paper looses all of its functionality as do interactive elements like drop-down menus, datepickers and text input fields. Simulating the elegant subtleties of all these effects can be a real challenge using print-outs with a person fiddling through a stack of paper trying to find the right screen. A step ahead: Rapid digital paper prototyping Thanks to the Web 2.0 paper prototyping has evolved beyond paper through the advent of rapid digital paper prototyping. Software, such as pidoco°, an online wireframing tool, allows you to create clickable wireframe prototypes that embrace interactivity with the ease of drag and drop functionality that allows users to assemble the prototypes from pre-fabricated visual elements without any need for programming. These prototypes are created in a standard web-browser without the need to install any software. Prototypes can be shared with stakeholders who can then view, annotate and/or edit them offering not only feedback but also a great way to collaborate with stakeholders as well as the possibility of conducting remote usability tests over the internet. To learn more, I recommend books like Paper Prototyping by Carolyn Snyder or having a look at paper prototyping explained in 7 photos(http://www.nngroup.com/reports/prototyping/video_stills.html). </p><strong>About the Author:</strong><br /><p>Pidoco.com &ndash; <a rel="nofollow" href="https://pidoco.com/" target="_blank" title="Interface Design, Interface Design Software, Wireframe Software">Interface Design</a>, Wireframe Software, Wireframe Tools, Interface Design Software, Clickable Wireframes, Usability Testing and <a rel="nofollow" href="https://pidoco.com/en/benefits/digital_paper_prototyping" target="_blank" title="Interface Design, Interface Design Software, Wireframe Software">Digital Paper Prototyping</a>.</p> <p> Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_How-do-you-undergo-usability-testing-with-paper-prototypes_51896.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_How do you undergo usability testing with paper prototypes?_51896.aspx</a></p>

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Keywords : interface design, clickable wireframe, wireframe, wireframes, interface design software, wireframe software, GUI Prototyping ,

Category : Computers : Software