Usability Test Plan
Goals (Quesenbery’s 5Es)
- Effective: Can users find relevant gear and advice?
- Efficient: Is navigation quick and smooth?
- Engaging: Does the content make beginners feel supported?
- Error-Tolerant: Can users recover from confusion?
- Easy to Learn: Do new users understand the structure easily?
Scope
Users: 3 participants
Session Length: 30-45 minutes each
Pages Tested: index.html, gear.html, tips.html, signup.html
Moderator Script
“Hi, thanks for participating in this usability test. I’m testing how people use the TrailReady website, not testing you, so there are no right or wrong answers. Please speak your thoughts aloud as you complete the tasks.”
Pre-Test Questionnaire
- What is your age and current occupation?
- How often do you go hiking?
- Have you ever looked online for hiking advice or gear before?
- Have you ever subscribed to a hiking or outdoor site before?
- When you visit hiking websites, what info do you usually look for first?
Scenarios & Tasks
Scenario 1 – Planning a Beginner Day Hike
You’ve decided to take your first real day hike. You want to make sure you have all the essential gear and understand what to expect.
Tasks
- Find a list of gear needed for a short hike
- View a recommended gear setup
- Go to the Tips section and find what to do if lost
- Read 1–2 additional useful tips
Scenario 2 – Subscribing for Advice
You found that the information from RailReady website is useful for your hiking experience. Therefore, you want to stay updated with hiking tips as you plan more trips this year.
- Find the newsletter signup form
- Subscribe with a test name and email
- See what info the newsletter will offer
- Read a testimonial and a FAQ
Tasks
Post-Test Questions
- What was your overall impression of the website?
- Was anything confusing or difficult?
- Did you find everything easily?
- How did you feel about the design and layout?
- Would you trust the info and return to this site?
- How confident did you feel completing the tasks?
- Anything you'd change or expect but didn’t find?