PUBLIC MARKS from amyrussell with tags usability & "user testing"

The fundamental rationale that underlies the direct and observational techniques of user research is that a user’s actions speak louder than their words. As a matter of fact, as usability specialists we are trained to go beyond the surface of a comment and probe for the motivation that spurred the verbal reaction: if, for example, a user encounters an obstacle during a usability test, is the cause a design flaw or a unique characteristic of that individual? In my experience, many participants have an almost palpable desire to please the facilitator and avoid making “mistakes” during the assessment.