Designing and Implementing a Low-Cost Usability Testing Laboratory: Theoretical Justifications and Practical Considerations

• Published in: Technical communication (Washington) Vol. 60; no. 3; pp. 175 - 189
• Main Author: Garrison, Kevin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington Society for Technical Communication 01-08-2013
• Subjects: Buildings and facilities; College students; Computer software; Computer technology; Costs; Design and construction; Lab Design; Laptop computers; Literature Reviews; Personal computers; Public universities and colleges; Research universities; School campuses; Space based observatories; Technical communication; Technical Communication Programs; Testing laboratories; Tutorial; Universities; University faculty; Usability; USABILITY LAB; USABILITY TESTING; Websites; United States
• ISSN: 0049-3155; 1938-369X

Purpose : To share advice about how to create a low-cost usability testing lab based on the results of a year-long process of acquiring funding for a lab that supports Angelo State University's faculty, staff, and students. Methods: Literature review of usability testing
labs, trends, and theories; a case study of designing and implementing a usability lab. Results: While there are numerous descriptions and justifications for labs in usability textbooks (Barnum, 2011; Rubin & Chisnell, 2008), Web sites (Nielsen, 1994), and articles (Potosnak,
1990; Blatt et al., 1994), changes in usability technology and decreasing prices allows for the development of new, cost-efficient laboratories in locations that have historically not contained labs, such as small university campuses. This article shares how Angelo State University created
an up-to-date, personalized, on-campus lab based on past and contemporary trends in usability testing. Conclusions: A usability lab on a university campus is possible to build, even with limited funding. Moreover, a step-by-step guide reveals that there are 1) strong theoretical
reasons for constructing a usability lab, and 2) practical solutions for how to implement a design.