Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests (Wiley Technical Communications Library) [Paperback]

Jeffrey Rubin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471594032 | ISBN-13: 978-0471594031 | Publication Date: April 29, 1994 | Edition: 1

A supremely usable nuts-and-bolts guide for beginners. A daily tool of the trade for specialists. Handbook of Usability Testing gives you practical, step-by-step guidelines in plain English. Written by Jeffrey Rubin, it arms beginners with the full complement of proven testing tools and techniques. From software, GUIs, and technical documentation, to medical instruments, VCRs, and exercise bikes, no matter what your product, you'll learn to design and administer extremely reliable tests to ensure that people find it easy and desirable to use.
* Requires no engineering or human factors training
* A rigorous, step-by-step approach--with an eye to common gaffes and pitfalls--saves you months of trial and error
* Liberally peppered with real-life examples and case histories taken from a wide range of industries
* Packed with extremely usable templates, models, tables, test plans, and other indispensable tools of the trade

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Presents a step-by-step approach to usability testing in today's fast-paced industrial production environment, where reducing time to market has become a prerequisite for survival. Contains chapter coverage for each of the six stages including numerous examples and case studies. Provides information on the politics and human elements of testing within an organization. Features plenty of inside tips and tricks to help ease the testing process.

From the Back Cover

A supremely usable nuts-and-bolts guide for beginners… A daily tool of the trade for specialists… Handbook of Usability Testing gives you practical, step-by-step guidelines in plain English. Written by Jeffrey Rubin, it arms beginners with the full complement of proven testing tools and techniques. From software, GUIs, and technical documentation, to medical instruments, VCRs, and exercise bikes, no matter what your product, you’ll learn to design and administer extremely reliable tests to ensure that people find it easy and desirable to use.

• Requires no engineering or human factors training
• A rigorous, step-by-step approach—with an eye to common gaffes and pitfalls—saves you months of trial and error
• Liberally peppered with real-life examples and case histories taken from a wide range of industries
• Packed with extremely usable templates, models, tables, test plans, and other indispensable tools of the trade

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 330 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 29, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471594032
• ISBN-13: 978-0471594031
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #965,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice start, inoffensive, practical, February 23, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests (Wiley Technical Communications Library) (Paperback)

I'm a clinical-social psychologist by training; lots and experimental psychology and research design and analysis experience. Rubin really captures the basics of the scientist-subject without being overly complex, and he does it specific to software and similar assessment projects. His writing is clean, and maybe even simple. As such, I consider his efforts a success. However, the single volume is not sufficient. Combined with titles by Nielsen, Hackos, Redish, Cooper, Norman, etc., etc., as well as a *thorough* review of the journals (the profession is changing *so* rapidly), I think Rubin's book becomes more worthy, and more useful over time. Positive, is that it's a paperback; neutral is that it might be better as a spiral-bound; negative is that it is over-priced. It should be about $24.95.

37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you will be performing a usability test, read the book., August 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests (Wiley Technical Communications Library) (Paperback)

Mr. Rubin provides some of the principles of User Centered Design and explains how to perform a usability test session to ferret out some of the usability problems. A wonderful guide for someone who will be performing usability tests and would like to be able to refer to some guidelines, report formats, and technique suggestions.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rock-solid introduction to usability testing., June 7, 2000

By 

J. Grey (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests (Wiley Technical Communications Library) (Paperback)

The author provides a supermarket of information from which you can choose your approach and method for performing usability testing. I had a little usability-testing experience when I bought this book. It quickly gave me some ways to streamline my process, plus some ways to shore up my process where it was weak. The most important thing this book gave me, however, was an understanding of when to use "quick and dirty" usability testing and when to perform a more thorough study.