Testing Usability On My Backoffice

[ferrins]

Hi there!

Well, let me first just say hello to everbody here at webproworld. This is my first post and I bet it won't be the last. Thank you all for reading me.

Well, here's my problem: I just don't know how to approach this. The thing is that I've coded a web portal along with a backoffice tool to upload all the content you want, both from scratch. But now I need to test my backoffice's usability. But he main problem is that most of the tasks that I should ask to the user, require some previous knowledgement of the backoffice functioning. For instance, in order to upload some specifical content there must be some keywords in the database before you upload the content, so you have to make sure these keywords exist.

So, what really troubles me is if I should show to the user the principles of the backoffice functioning before I begin asking the user to do the test tasks. But in the other side maybe I should just go ahead and do not tell them anything about the functioning, which I don't think would work because there are a lot of features in the backoffice that without knowing a little how it works it could give you a hard time.

Well that's my problem right there, any advice will be deeply aprecciated!

Thankx!

[Webnauts]

Find 5 testers and assign them some tasks, without telling how to before.

[wige]

A key element of designing for usability is to assume that the user will be coming into the application with no previous knowledge of how it works. Most users don't read manuals or documentation, and the end users won't have you there to provide instructions or an overview. For testing, I agree that you should start the user "blind". However, you should also make sure that the system provides ample feedback to the user - if keywords are required, for example, make sure the program tells the user this and if possible also tells the user how to add the keyword (or make it possible to add the keyword from the same area of the interface, or as part of the same process).

[webcreationrus]

I agree with the other posts. A good application on its own should contain the info a user needs to get on with the job.

I like to get stuck in with software and use the help as a last resort. Your apps workflow should be directing people to the correct steps in the correct order if there is such a dependency on the way it works. Things like context sensitive roll over help on a per field basis is a great way to have help right where I want it, rather than going off in to help docs. I also like to get a useful tip of the day info when I log on to the app, just when I am starting off, turning it off as I get more familiar with an app.