To test the UX of our application a think aloud protocol was completed, concerning the prototyped section of the application. Participants were asked to complete the tasks below using the application provided to them on our tablet, and think aloud as they are doing so.
Why Think Aloud ?
“Think Aloud (TA) studies provide rich verbal data about reasoning during a problem solving task. Using TA and Protocol analysis, investigators can identify the information that is concentrated on during problem solving and how that information is used to facilitate problem resolution.” (E. Fonteyn, Marsha & Kuipers, Benjamin & Grobe, Susan. 1993). This method involves providing participants with a task and asking them to think aloud as they attempt to complete the task. Participants verbalize their thought patterns as they navigate through the system, and from this we gain an insight into what a user who is unfamiliar with the system experiences when the interact with our UI. The reason this is important is because as designers we have become familiar with the system we are developing and we may often overlook details that may cause confusion to our users. “With the rise of cognitive psychology over the past 30 years, thinking aloud has again become a standard method for studying human thought. The conditions under which it provides access to silent thoughts are now believed to be well understood..” (Dumas, Joseph 2001).
The purpose of this think aloud study for us was to gain an understanding into how the developed UI is interacted with by users. The aim was to gauge what elements of the application may cause individuals confusion, were users able to navigate through the system, and what elements of the system did people think were effective. We completed this study on four participants, notes were taken while each person completed the task and a screen recording was also captured to record the users movements through the system.
The Study Design
Research Methodology : This study takes a qualitative approach and aims to gather rich data about ‘Let’s Talk’ prototype through the use of think aloud protocol. Participants will be asked to complete a series of tasks with the Let’s Talk Prototype and think aloud as they attempt to complete these tasks.
Methods : Think Aloud Protocol, this allows researcher to gather rich verbal data on a users thought process during the completion of a set of tasks.
Location: The location of this study will be in an environment that is private and comfortable for the individual participants, be it their own home or a classroom, where they can speak freely without fear of being overheard. The task will be completed on a Alba Nou Tablet, provided by the researcher.
Participants:
Population: We will be focusing this study on people above the age of 18 due to the sensitive content in the application
Sample Size: As Think Aloud Protocol will provide us with rich qualitative data we conducted this study with a sample size of 4 participants.The participants may have a range of technical abilities, ages and genders.
Study Procedure : Participants will be asked to complete a set of tasks using the ‘Let’s Talk’ application prototype and think aloud while they are doing so.
Please complete the tasks below and think aloud as you are doing so..
- Open Let’s Talk Application
- Login Using these details….
Username: username
Password: passcode
- Select Rosin as your Character
- Navigate through the application until you reach the section on period pain
Data gathering : Notepad and paper to take notes of what participant is saying and a screencast to record their movements on the application interface
What was gathered ?
Screencasts :https://photos.app.goo.gl/ULiYdgd5D9gACPcQ6ts
Notes: (See Blogpost on Data Analysis)
References
Dumas, Joseph. (2001). Usability testing methods: Think-aloud protocols. 22/04/2019 via URL https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319130250_Usability_testing_methods_Think-aloud_protocols
E. Fonteyn, Marsha & Kuipers, Benjamin & Grobe, Susan. (1993). A Description of Think Aloud Method and Protocol Analysis. Qualitative Health Research – QUAL HEALTH RES. 3. 430-441. 10.1177/104973239300300403, accessed 22/04/2019 via URL https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249674934_A_Description_of_Think_Aloud_Method_and_Protocol_Analysis
Let's Talk - Project Blog 