{
    "version" : "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1",
    "content" : "news",
    "type" : "single",
    "title" : "Tips for Hallway Testing from NIH |Digital.gov",
    "description": "Tips for Hallway Testing from NIH",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cm-topics-button-component/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cm-topics-button-component/2016/01/14/tips-for-hallway-testing-from-nih/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"Tips for Hallway Testing from NIH","summary" : "Over the course of the last year, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) has sought to increase its use of usability testing to improve the user experience on our Web resources. To do this, we conducted hallway usability testing at the NIH Clinical Center on NLM’s site search feature. Our goal is to update the","date" : "2016-01-14T11:10:14-04:00","date_modified" : "2024-04-02T09:45:13-04:00","authors" : {"katie-chan" : "Katie Chan","joanna-karpinski-widzer" : "Joanna Karpinski-Widzer"},"topics" : {
        
            "user-experience" : "User Experience"
            },"branch" : "cm-topics-button-component",
      "filename" :"2016-01-14-tips-for-hallway-testing-from-nih.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2016/01/2016-01-14-tips-for-hallway-testing-from-nih.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/cm-topics-button-component/content/news/2016/01/2016-01-14-tips-for-hallway-testing-from-nih.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/cm-topics-button-component/content/news/2016/01/2016-01-14-tips-for-hallway-testing-from-nih.md","slug" : "tips-for-hallway-testing-from-nih","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cm-topics-button-component/2016/01/14/tips-for-hallway-testing-from-nih/","content" :"\u003cp\u003eOver the course of the last year, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) has sought to \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cm-topics-button-component/2015/01/02/past-present-future-usability-testing-at-the-national-library-of-medicine/\"\u003eincrease its use of usability testing to improve the user experience\u003c/a\u003e on our Web resources. To do this, we conducted \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cm-topics-button-component/resources/open-opportunities-task-creator-toolkit/\"\u003ehallway usability testing\u003c/a\u003e10-tips-for-creating-the-perfect-open-opportunity-task/) at the \u003ca href=\"https://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?query=\u0026amp;v%3Aproject=nlm-main-website\"\u003eNIH Clinical Center on NLM’s site search feature\u003c/a\u003e. Our goal is to update the user interface and improve user satisfaction with results. We set out to learn the specific difficulties and successes users have with our search interface through user testing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2016/01/600-x-290-NIH-NLM-search-results-for-Alternatives-to-Animal-Testing.jpg\"\n    alt=\"Screen capture of search results for Alternatives to Animal Testing.\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eTo conduct the hallway testing, two staff from NLM’s Web team set up in the lobby of the NIH Clinical Center between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. This is a busy area frequented by researchers, clinicians and patients, all of whom are within the target audience of the NLM’s website. We brought a small folding table, a laptop and three chairs and placed a box of snacks and a Nespresso machine on a nearby table. We posted signs in the lobby advertising a free latte and snack for anyone who had ten minutes to give their opinion about our website. This was our first experience with hallway testing and we found the sessions to be insightful. We learned some valuable lessons about running a successful hallway usability test including:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScope out the space in advance for optimum set-up (adequate room), comfort (noise, temperature) and convenience (power outlet and wireless availability).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHave a hook to attract potential participants. Free lattes are a huge draw.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreate enticing posters and advertise across a large physical area. Posters can be less intimidating than approaching people when they are trying to get back to work or catch a bus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSmile and look friendly, even if you are nervous. Participants will feel more comfortable approaching you.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBe patient. You may be sitting there for a while before participants come to you.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBe prepared to deal with more than one participant at a time. Consider having a sign-up sheet with times or multiple testing stations. \u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/11/600-x-400-Modern-laptop-on-technology-exhibition-zhudifeng-iStock-Thinktock-536196251.jpg\"\n    alt=\"Laptops on a table\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet participants lead the way, but be prepared with canned prompts. Sometimes open-ended questions can yield the most meaningful data but you want to have support for a stumped participant.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRespect your participant’s time. They’re doing you a favor.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRealize that not every participant will provide information that is useful to your project.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBe willing to run multiple sessions over a few days. You may not get all the participants that you want or need in your first session.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGive yourself a break and bring food and water. Talking, facilitating and note taking require more energy than you think.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRotate between staff after a few sessions so you don’t burn out on facilitating or note taking.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are currently evaluating the results of our testing and plan on making iterative improvements to our site search feature based on what we learn.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKatie Chan\u003c/strong\u003e is a \u003cem\u003elibrarian\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eJoanna Widzer\u003c/strong\u003e is a systems librarian in the Web \u0026amp; Information Management Unit at the National Library of Medicine (NLM).\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterested in more great content like this? Sign up for our \u003ca href=\"https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USHOWTO/subscriber/new\"\u003edaily or weekly DigitalGov newsletter\u003c/a\u003e!\u003c/p\u003e\n"}
  ]
}