[IxDA Discuss] U-testing paper prototype Forms

[Jim Drew]

>From: Katie Albers <katie at firstthought.com>
>>>
>>>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.
>
>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.


Oh, I definitely agree there, Katie.  The more it looks "done", the less feedback you'll get in many areas.

So don't make it look done, make it look like a mockup.

What I was after, though, was doing the mockup in HTML/Flash/etc. rather than on paper.  Just an otherwise blank page but with actual form fields would avoid the "don't complain about something finished" fears but would better capture (perhaps) how the subject will interact with the computer, and might not take much more time to produce than the paper mockup with Post-It notes and multiple pages and what not.

-- Jim Drew
   Seattle, WA