[IxDA Discuss] U-testing paper prototype Forms

[Katie Albers]

At 11:14 AM -0700 6/7/06, Jim Drew wrote:
>[Please voluntarily trim replies to include only relevant quoted material.]
>
>>From: Damon van Vessem <damon at vanvessem.net>
>>
>>I'm going to run some usability tests on HTML forms. I'm considering 
>>using paper prototypes and have people fill in the fields with a pen, 
>>selecting items from dropdown lists laid down by the facilitator, etc.
>
>The first question that comes to my mind is what you seek to gain by 
>doing it on paper?  Won't it take just about as long to create the 
>paper versions as to mock up actual HTML foms?  I guess you get a 
>certain amount of distancing from the idea that it's the real thing 
>and thus avoid compliants about the UI, the behaviors, the 
>responsiveness, and such.
>
>-- Jim Drew
>    Seattle, WA

I have found over the years that the more "finished" something 
appears to be, the less likely the test participants are to give you 
useful critiques as they go along. Also, the minute anything is on a 
computer screen, people seem to attribute to it "finished-ness". 
Because these factors, I am a huge proponent of paper prototyping. I 
actually like to draw it out with pencil, to add to the feeling that 
the prototype is changeable.

Katie