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There are five sections to this usability interview:
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1. Friendly Welcome
The person will be a bit nervous. Make them comfortable.
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Do you have any questions before we begin?
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2. Context Questions
Understand more about the user and their background. The goal here is several fold. First, it is to help gather backgrounder information about the user and their behaviours. (These are Who? Where? When ? What? Why? How? type questions). Second, it is to help put them more at rest, by being small talk. Spend a few minutes here, based on the time you have.
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To begin, please just take a look at [this screen]. What are your first impressions of what this is?
3. Tasks
Tasks are specific things the user is asked to accomplish. Watching how a user is able to accomplish the tasks provides valuable feedback.
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For instance, the task may be for the user to return to the overview of the patient chart. Instead of using the application's navigation to get there, they may use the back button on the browser. This is ok, let them do so. After the user has completed the task using their first method. Have the user return to the page of interest, and ask, "Is there another way you would do __________"
Don't say the word on screen
The task question should not include the word written on the screen.
For instance:
Bad: "Click the Help button"
Good: "What would you do if you needed assistance?"
Bad: Register a new patient. (if the screen has a button labeled "Register new patient")
Good: How would you create a new patient record?
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4. Debrief
The debrief provides an opportunity to comment more broadly on the prototype and tasks they have performed.
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What types of people does each of these versions seem to be designed for?
Don't Lead
Questions should be objective, and now influence how the user will respond.
Michael Margolis gives examples of leading questions:
Bad: "Is this good?
Bad: You program your home thermostat to save energy, right?
Good: Do you program your home thermostat?
Bad: Would you rather use the old version or this new, improved design?
Bad: Is this version better?
Good: How would you compare these two?
Good: What are the pros and cons of these prototypes?
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5. Cool Down & End
Summarize the session briefly for the user.
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I really appreciate your taking the time to come in, and answering all of my questions.
Thank you
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Resources
See the OpenMRS Wiki Usability Testing Links & Resources page for all resources.
This script draws upon, and directly mirrors in areas, the work of Michael Margolis in his Google Venture's Usability Testing work
More Context / Discovery Question examples by Michael Margolis
from his PDF document on UX Research Workshop
Types of Questions for Discovery Research
Specific Examples: Who did you call from your cell phone yesterday?
Complete List: What are all the payment apps on your phone? Are there any others?
Activities: What do you typically do to get ready for a trip?
Reenactment: Please show me exactly how you do that.
Sequence: Please walk me through a typical day. How do you start? And then what do you do next?
Inputs and Outputs: What information do you need to gather before you can do x? How and where do you get that information? What do you do with it when you’re done?
Guided Tours: Can we take a look at your email account together?
Projection: What do you think would happen if. . .?
Changes over Time: How does that compare to the way you did that a year ago?
Exceptions: Under what circumstances do you do that differently?
Suggestive Opinion: Some people have very negative feelings about using cell phones in cars while others don’t. How do you feel about it?
Identification: Who do you think would use something like that? Who wouldn’t?
Outsider Perspective: How would you describe <feature or activity> to someone who hadn’t done that before? What advice would you give to somebody who was going to try it?
Comparisons: What’s the difference between Tweeting and sending an email? How do you do that differently when you’re at home vs. at work?
Successes and Failures: What would be the worst case scenario? Can you tell me about a time when this didn’t work?
Fill in the blank: So in that situation, you. . . [pregnant pause]?
3 wishes: If you had 3 wishes to make this better for you, what would they be?
Follow-up Questions for discovery research
Why?
Point to participant’s reactions contradictions, paradoxes, non sequiturs, unexpected reactions, or laughter. Why do you roll your eyes when you say that?
Clarification: When you say “her” you mean your daughter, right?
Reflecting Back: So, what I hear you saying is______. Is that right?
Native Language: Why do you call your computer “my brain”?
Silence: Trust your question and wait for participants to fill in the gaps. Or try leaving pregnant pauses: “When that happened, you felt. . . ?“