WHAT
6th NIST INDUSTRY USABILITY REPORTING PROJECT WORKSHOP ON FORMATIVE TESTING

WHEN
October 18-19, 2004

WHERE
Fidelity Investments, downtown Boston, 245 Summer St.

PURPOSE
The Common Industry Format (CIF) for usability test reporting of summative testing has been an ANSI/INCITS Standard since late 2001.  However, organizations and usability practitioners are modifying the CIF to use it for reporting formative testing.  This suggests an “unmet need” that the NIST Industry Usability Reporting (IUSR) project participants have identified as an area to investigate.

GOAL

At this workshop, we will look at usability testing during the beginning and middle of a project cycle. For many practitioners, most of our work is formative, rather than more formal summative testing. Although there is a large body of literature to draw on, there is a need for clear definitions for practitioners to use in planning and conducting our work, and in communicating our work (and its value) to our colleagues and customers.

The goal of this workshop is to define and clarify types of usability testing techniques, as they are used for different goals during the requirements, design and development life cycle, and to identify best practices in communicating test results.

The final “deliverables” for this effort are open. They may be guidelines, best practices, a technical report, and templates for practitioners …. Or some combination of the above. What we want is something useful. The real goal is to promote the effective and usable practice of usability.

THE PROCESS

This workshop will focus on  “formative” testing and come to a consensus on best practices for conducting these activities such as:

·        Choices of specific techniques

·        Methodology

·        Facilitation techniques

·        Recruiting

We will also begin the process of  identifying best practices for communicating test results, including:

·        Reporting styles

·        Presenting issues and recommendations

·        Collaborating with other stakeholders

HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE?

1. Contribute Samples:
We want to collect as many examples as possible that show the breadth of current professional practice. Send us templates or sample documents for any aspect of a formative testing. (Feel free to black out any proprietary or identifying information – we are looking for format, not content).

      Attend the meeting:
Registration for the workshop is free. All attendees must pre-register and provide a parctices statement.

2.      Join the IUSR community discussion and the CIF-F working group (to be posted soon – www.nist.gov/iusr.)

MEETING&HOTEL

The workshop will be held at Fidelity Investments in downtown Boston.  The building is at 245 Summer St., which is immediately next door to South Station.  This makes access via commuter rail, Amtrak, and the subway ("Red line") very easy.  It's also only a short ride from the airport.

The Seaport Hotel (www.seaporthotel.com) has given us a special rate of $209 per night (for the nights of Oct. 17 and 18). Their normal rate during that time is $249 per night. Reservations need to be made by Sept. 17 to be guaranteed the special rate, referring to the "Usability Testing Workshop".

The Seaport is a very nice hotel, with an outstanding restaurant, fitness center with indoor pool, and free high-speed Internet connections in all the rooms. They also have a shuttle bus that runs regularly between the hotel and South Station, which is immediately next door to Fidelity Investments.

The NIST IUSR TEAM

Mary Theofanos (Project Lead)

Sharon Laskowski

Emile Morse

Jean Scholtz

THANK  YOU

Many thanks to Tom Tullis of Fidelity Investments for hosting the workshop and to Whitney Quesenbery who not only has helped with planning the workshop but has agreed to chair the working group.