Tips for Developing the Task List

While this may seem straightforward, it is a very subtle process. The trick is to indirectly expose usability flaws by having the participants perform tasks that use the parts of the product in question. What you are really testing is the relationship of your product to the end user. From the end user's viewpoint, your product and its associated documentation are a means to an end, either used to solve a problem or provide a service.

The tasks that you develop for the test need to reflect this relationship and, as much as possible, allow the test to expose the points at which the product becomes a hindrance rather than a help for performing a task. Let's look at a simple example of a task to satisfy a test objective and, in so doing, review some possible pitfalls.