Chapter Summary

Once user documentation has been created, usability testing should be employed to determine if users are able to learn the material as intended. Usability testing is also helpful for assessing whether the user documentation is easy to navigate and whether pertinent information is easy to locate. There are several types of usability testing, including surveys, questionnaires, focus groups, field observations, context studies, passive observation lab studies, and facilitator manipulation lab studies. To ensure effectiveness, usability tests should have clear test objectives and protocols, a controlled test setting, and a distinct user profile; it is also important that all test subjects be supplied with the product and user documentation. Usability testing is a critical step in the user documentation process and it is important that the test subject profiles, number of subjects tested, and the design of the usability test not be compromised by financial restraints. Additionally, it is important that members of the user document development team determine the objectives of the usability testing to ensure its success.

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