Written in plain English and filled with examples, the book begins by defining usability and explaining methods of usability engineering. Readers are taken through all the steps for planning and conducting a usability test, analysing data, and using the results to improve both products and processes. Included are forms that can be used or modified to conduct a usability test, and layouts of existing labs that will help readers to build their own.

Designed for readers-

considering introducing introducing usability into their product design process; who are product designers, software engineers, or documentation specialists, trying to make their products more usable; incorporating usability into a course on human factors, human-computer interaction, or document design.

As someone who has done research about usability, taught about usability to over 1000 practitioners, and developed usable systems (some more so than others) for 20 years, I am still impressed every time I open this book. I recommend it as the best practical book on developing usable software (although I also recommend other books, such as Nielsen's "Usablity Engineering" and Rubin's "Handbook of Usability Testing").


necessary reading   July 6, 2001
K. Mohnkern (Pittsburgh, PA USA)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful

This is required reading for usability professionals. It's a detailed look at testing, covering everything from test plans and lab construction to data analysis and how to handle unqualified testers who slip through the screening process. It covers lower-budget tests in addition to full-scale ones. It's clear that Dumas and Redish have loads of experience, and they're not shy about sharing it.

The most useful idea I came away with is that testing needs a specific purpose. You can't just test a system's usability; you test, for example, the navigation system or a membership form.

The only flaws here are a couple of omissions. There's no mention of testing web applications, though the principles covered here can be extrapolated to other purposes. And there is no mention of the ultra-cheap guerilla testing tactics. I doubt Dumas and Redish would approve of them, but it would have been very helpful to read about where these alternative methods were effective and not.

This book is a keeper. While my organization will not likely be doing full-blown usability testing for awhile, I'm now more able to evaluate and communicate with third-party testing facilities. And this book will influence all of our other evaluation and assessment testing methods.


A classic   January 27, 2002
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This is a classic in the field, written by two highly-respected usability specialists. I was fortunate to read it as one of the textbooks in a class on usability testing taught by Dr. Dumas. It is a very practical book, covering planning, testing, and reporting the results. The strengths and weaknesses of usability testing are discussed, and there is some information about other usability evaluation methods and basic design principles.

This is a republication, with only slight changes, of the 1993 edition, so the technology and costs are not up to date. But it's not hard to think in terms of digital cameras instead of videotape.

Highly recommended.


A great book for learning usability testing   July 6, 2000
J. Grey (Indianapolis, IN USA)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

With no previous usability-testing experience -- heck, having never even *heard* of usability testing -- I used this book to design and conduct a series of usability tests. I got outstanding results.


Courtney was a lousy student in my class   November 2, 2009
Joe Dumas (Cape Cod)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I am one of the authors of this book. Courney wrote the anonymous review, icepixy, about her perception of my teaching, which is inappropriate for a public review of a book. Note that her rating is two stars different from the other ratings.

Joe Dumas