Tips for international usability testing

Over the years we have carried out a number of usability tests across Europe usually for non-European based clients, testing a variety of products and websites in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Holland.

One of our international usability consultants, Ansgar Kupper, has distilled his experience running these tests into a series of tips for successful testing.

• Be methodical with your test plan. The main difference between usability testing at home and abroad is that it is more tricky abroad. There are more variables to control so you need to carry out more preparation.
• To find participants, commission a good market research agency in the city you want to do the testing. The last thing you want is no-shows or participants who have been selected inappropriately. A local agency will also be a valuable resource for advising you on issues like the time required to find the candidates, best times of day/year, difficulty/cost involved in recruiting certain types of participant etc.
• Find a good studio and be clear and be specific about what you want. Ensure someone will be available onsite to provide you with technical support-at least on the first day. 
• Even if you really know and trust the people "on the ground", allow at least one day for setting up the lab and making other on-site preparations. Don't take anything for granted. 
• Make sure your language fluency is up to the job. Working through an interpreter means you lose a lot of rich information. Instead use an experienced usability expert who speaks the language fluently. (We addressed this at System Concepts by employing bilingual usability experts). If you conduct the testing in a language which is not the users' mother tongue, you move into difficult territory. 
• Know the participants' culture and make sure your methodology is appropriate for them. So-called "validated" questionnaires have been validated only in certain countries. In some countries (such as Japan) you will have a hard time getting any critical feedback from users, so make sure you observe what they do, not just what they say. 
• Translate forms and questionnaires accurately. Unless you can check the translations yourself, discuss the content, meaning and intended usage of any written material with the translator. 
• Be flexible. Some countries do not have canonical usability labs, with one-way mirrors and T1 internet access. Certain times of the year are tricky for recruiting participants and particular regions will not be representative of the overall population. 
• Think ahead. Bring electrical and telephone adapters. When testing websites, burn the site onto a CD so you have a backup source if the local telephone system doesn't want to play ball with your modem. 
• Remember that Sod's Law applies outside of your own country. 
• Relax and enjoy the foreign experience!

 Ansgar Kupper 2 Oct 2007