Lecture 8 Usability Testing & Prototyping

Question 1

What is prototyping in design, according to Rogers, Sharp, and Preece (2023)?

Answer 1

Prototyping is the creation of tangible representations of design concepts that allow stakeholders to interact with and evaluate usability, bridging the gap between abstract ideas and practical solutions.

Question 2

Why is prototyping critical in the design process?

Answer 2

Explores design details not captured in discussions

More cost-effective than full development

Enables user feedback early on

Encourages learning through failure via rapid iteration

Question 3

What defines a low-fidelity prototype and what are some examples?

Answer 3

Low-fidelity prototypes focus on concepts over fine details. They are cheap and quick. Examples include:

Storyboarding

Index cards

Sketching/Wireframes

Wizard of Oz Prototyping (human simulates system)

Question 4

What are high-fidelity prototypes and their characteristics?

Answer 4

These closely mimic the final product in functionality and design. They may include:

Interactive digital tools

Software Development Kits (SDKs)

Physical computing tools (e.g., Arduino)
They are detailed but time-consuming and expensive to modify.

Question 5

What is rapid prototyping and its purpose?

Answer 5

A process that 3D prints or produces layered models to visually and functionally test product ideas. Useful at most stages, but costly and labor-intensive.

Question 6

What’s the difference between vertical and horizontal prototyping?

Answer 6

Horizontal: Covers broad UI, limited depth

Vertical: Focuses on a deep, functional slice of the system, good for back-end testing

Question 7

What is a chauffeured prototype in usability testing?

Answer 7

A low-fidelity mockup (e.g., paper-based) manually presented to the user by the designer, who guides the interaction while collecting real-time feedback.

Question 8

What is usability testing and why is it important?

Answer 8

It evaluates how easily real users can use a design. It reveals practical usability issues that expert reviews may miss by observing actual interaction.

Question 9

What are the main steps in a usability testing session?

Answer 9

Facilitator assigns tasks

User interacts with the system while “thinking aloud”

Observer notes behavior and collects feedback for improvement

Question 10

How does prototyping support usability engineering principles?

Answer 10

By using annotations or callouts, designers clarify purpose, expected interactions, and rationale. Prototypes help verify if designs meet usability goals like intuitiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction.