The first Usability Test that I completed was on a website of my choosing. Students were tasked with selecting a familiar website that had significant usability problems that were easily identifiable. As a fan of both the book series and television adaptations of his most prominent series, I selected author George R.R. Martin's website. While many of the individual elements of usability testing were familiar to me, I had never conducted a full Usability Test individually. This project gave students an opportunity to test what they had learned by conducting their research with live test subjects remotely or in-person.

 

       I was able to perform the tasks with three participants that were from varying backgrounds and a range of education levels. It was slightly nerve-racking leading administering the tests, as it was an unfamiliar process to both myself and the participants, but in the end it was surprisingly rewarding beyond achieving a good grade on the assignment. I learned a lot about the overall process as well as the individual steps and guidelines surrounding usability testing.