L7 Usability Testing & Prototyping Flashcards by Joey Pang

Q

What is the purpose of prototyping in usability engineering?

A

• Enables stakeholders to interact with a design early on
• Helps explore usability and gather feedback efficiently
• Supports iterative improvements

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Q

How is a prototype defined according to Rogers, Sharp, and Preece (2023)?

A

• A manifestation of a design allowing stakeholders to interact and explore usability

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Q

Why is prototyping considered essential in user-centered design?

A

• Enables early testing of ideas
• Allows cheap, informative failure
• Encourages iterative refinement

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Q

What’s a key advantage of failing early through prototyping?

A

• Identifies flaws quickly and affordably
• Facilitates learning and improvement before major investment

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Q

What distinguishes low-fidelity prototypes from high-fidelity ones?

A

• Low-fi: Simple sketches/models
• High-fi: Interactive and detailed, like the final product

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Q

When are low-fidelity prototypes most useful?

A

• Early design phases
• Quick feedback gathering
• Iterative layout evaluation

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Q

What are common formats for low-fidelity prototyping?

A

• Sketching
• Wireframes
• Index cards
• Storyboards
• Wizard of Oz

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Q

Why are high-fidelity prototypes sometimes problematic?

A

• Stakeholders hesitate to critique
• Costly to change
• Time-consuming fixes

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Q

How does fidelity exist in prototyping?

A

• As a continuum, not binary
• From rough sketches to detailed simulations

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Q

What is ‘Wizard of Oz’ prototyping?

A

• Simulated system where a human provides the backend response

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Q

What is the purpose of using storyboards in prototyping?

A

• Visually show user interaction steps
• Depict tasks and scenarios

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Q

What are index cards used for in prototyping?

A

• Represent screens or UI parts
• Easy to rearrange during planning

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Q

What does participatory prototyping involve?

A

• Collaborative design between developers and users

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Q

What is chauffeured prototyping?

A

• Designer walks user through paper interface
• Good for early concepts

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Q

What’s the difference between vertical and horizontal prototyping?

A

• Vertical: Deep on few features
• Horizontal: Broad but shallow system view

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Q

What are some tools used for digital prototyping?

A

• POP
• Figma
• Adobe XD
• PowerPoint
• InVision
• Axure RP

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Q

What are rapid prototypes and when are they used?

A

• Quick physical models
• Used at any design stage
• Evaluate shape and function

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Q

What is usability testing and why is it important?

A

• Test system usability with real users
• Identify design issues

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Q

What steps are involved in usability testing?

A

• Facilitator assigns task
• User completes it
• Feedback is collected

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Q

What are common outcomes of usability testing?

A

• Discover problems
• Reveal user behavior
• Uncover new design opportunities

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Q

How does usability testing fit into the iterative design process?

A

• Feedback informs redesign
• Leads to new conceptual designs

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Q

What does the image show about prototype evolution?

A

Transition from cardboard models to functional prototypes

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Q

Why are early prototypes often made of cardboard or paper?

A

Cheap and quick to modify

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Q

What is the benefit of transitioning to high-fidelity models later?

A

Test realistic interactions and appearance

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What does the change in materials across prototypes indicate?

* Increasing refinement in usability and function

What principle does this diagram demonstrate about prototyping?

* Fail fast, iterate quickly

Why is visual progression useful in prototyping?

* Helps stakeholders visualize development stages

At what stage do users provide the most feedback?

* During low-fi stages where changes are easier

What is the function of the Audio Input Processor in Alexa?

* Captures and forwards audio input for processing

What does Wake Word Detection do in Alexa’s system?

* Listens for activation keywords like 'Alexa'

What is the purpose of the Capability Agent?

* Handles interaction directives and events

What role does Activity Focus Manager Library play?

* Prioritizes input/output flow for the system

What is the Alexa Communication Library responsible for?

* Sends data to and from Alexa Voice Service

Why is a reference signal sent to the media player?

* For output alignment and playback control

How does the Directive Sequencer manage tasks?

* Orders Alexa instructions and responses

What prototyping type does Arduino support?

* High-fidelity physical prototyping

What does the Arduino board allow designers to prototype?

* Interactive electronic systems with sensors and outputs

Why is Arduino educationally significant?

* Used widely in schools to teach coding and electronics

Which components make Arduino programmable?

* Microcontroller and USB interface

What kind of behavior can Arduino prototypes simulate?

* Real-world interactive responses

Why is Arduino suitable for rapid prototyping?

* Quick setup, easy programming

How does physical computing relate to usability testing?

* Helps evaluate tangible user interactions

How do sketches differ from prototypes in design intent?

* Sketches explore, prototypes test and refine

Why are sketches evocative but not didactic?

* Meant to inspire rather than instruct

What transition does the diagram depict?

* From idea generation to functional exploration

Which design phase benefits most from sketching?

* Early conceptual design

Why are prototypes more specific than sketches?

* They validate implementation and usability

What does 'refine' suggest in design evolution?

* Iteratively improving functionality and clarity

Why is sketching still important later in design?

* Useful for brainstorming feature extensions

What key concept is demonstrated in Wizard of Oz testing?

* Simulated backend controlled by a human

Why might designers use Wizard of Oz methods?

* Test reactions without fully building systems

What is the participant unaware of in this setup?

* That a person, not software, generates responses

Which types of systems benefit most from this method?

* Conversational agents and early voice UIs

Why is Wizard of Oz considered a low-fidelity method?

* Lacks working backend logic

What ethical concern might arise in Wizard of Oz testing?

* Deception of participants

How does this method aid iterative refinement?

* Reveals interaction needs before development

What prototyping method is shown using paper screens?

* Index card wireframing

How does this method support iteration?

* Easy to rearrange or replace screens

What is a major benefit of using index cards?

* Quick and low-cost visual layouting

Why are these cards often used in website/app design?

* Represent screen-by-screen flows

What does each card typically represent?

* One screen or UI component

Can user testing be done using index cards?

* Yes, by simulating interactions manually

What’s a limitation of this method?

* Lacks interaction or animation capabilities

What type of prototype does this travel planner mockup represent?

* Low-fidelity dialogue interface

What design aspect does it test?

* User interaction flow via prompts and inputs

How does dialogue-based UI benefit from paper prototyping?

* Reveals language clarity and question ordering

What user information is being collected here?

* Travel destination, date, mode, and accommodation needs

What usability concerns can this uncover?

* Confusing phrasing or missing input fields

How would this be tested in usability studies?

* Simulate user responses to prompts

What’s a key limitation of this approach?

* Doesn’t validate backend functionality

What task is being visualized in this storyboard?

* Office supply ordering and tracking

What is the role of visuals in this storyboard?

* Clarify step-by-step user actions

How are personas useful in storyboards?

* Align tasks with real user needs

Why is the storyboard format effective?

* Depicts flow and context simply

What scenarios does this storyboard show?

* Selecting, ordering, and tracking supplies

What prototyping technique is this an example of?

* Low-fidelity scenario visualization

What insights can be drawn from such a storyboard?

* Identify user pain points or missed steps

What does this wireframe sequence represent?

* User flow through a mobile app

Why can low-fidelity wireframes be limiting?

* Miss fine interaction details

What parts of the app are shown here?

* Login, search, results, item view, profile

What is the value of wireframes early in design?

* Define structure before styling or code

How are wireframes used in testing?

* To check user understanding of navigation

What feature is missing from these wireframes?

* Functional interactivity

Why are icons or text used instead of images?

* Focus is on layout and structure

What are the three entities in usability testing?

* Facilitator, Participant, and Tasks

What is the facilitator’s role?

* Administers tasks, observes, collects feedback

How does the participant engage with testing?

* Completes tasks and gives verbal feedback

What do the arrows in the diagram represent?

* Information and interaction flow

Why is observation critical in usability testing?

* Captures user difficulties or hesitation

What type of feedback is gathered?

* Behavioral and verbal

What do tasks represent in testing?

* Realistic activities to simulate usage

What are the three benefits of usability testing?

* Uncover problems, discover improvements, learn user preferences

What design process stages are connected by testing?

* Conceptual Design and Prototyping

Why is usability testing iterative?

* Refines design after each cycle

What does each icon represent?

* Problem, opportunity, user behavior

What drives changes between stages?

* Feedback and test outcomes

How is this cycle relevant in UX?

* Core to iterative user-centered design

What is the ultimate aim of testing?

* Improve usability and satisfaction

What does the vertical slice in the model show?

* Deep functionality of one feature

What does the horizontal slice in the model show?

* Broad interface with limited function

What axis does functionality align with?

* Vertical axis

What does the horizontal plane cover?

* Full system range of screens/features

Which type is used for backend testing?

* Vertical prototype

Which type is used for UI navigation?

* Horizontal prototype

Why might vertical prototyping be time-consuming?

* Requires complete backend development