ABOUT THE BOOK | summary | features | contents | preface | reviews

"If you are somewhat familiar with usability tests, but have not done one yourself, you may be put off by visions of high-tech laboratories, banks of elaborate monitoring equipment, one-way mirrors, and technicians in white lab coats. While such settings do exist, they are not absolutely required and perfectly satisfactory testing can be done on a shoestring budget. So if you have been wanting to test your product but have been putting it off for fear that it is an expensive, arcane process, this book is for you."
—excerpt from review by Richard T. Evans in IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

"The explanations and examples are exceptionally lucid, the style is engaging and friendly, the various sidebars give the book a lively and practical dimension, and the extensive citations and references demonstrate your genuine command of the subject and give students direction for additional investigation. The book will be a great addition to the A&B [Allyn and Bacon] series."
—Sam Dragga, Allyn and Bacon Technical Communication Series Editor, and Professor of English, Texas Tech University
 

"The book should do well nationally. The sections on Web usability testing…should make this book an essential addition to the bookshelf of usability researchers. I think that it will do equally well in the industry market."
—Judith Ramey, Department Chair and Professor of Technical Communication, University of Washington
 

"Finally, a usability textbook--not a handbook--has been written with technical communicators in mind! And that textbook includes things that previous books rarely have: a discussion of usability theory, a map of the usability lifecycle, and exercises that will help students and practitioners alike to develop their own usability projects. Furthermore, the book supplies multiple examples of the documents needed to successfully prepare for, pull off, interpret and "sell" the usability test. I wouldn't be surprised if Barnum's text becomes standard for technical communicators who work with or learn about usability."
—Mark Zachry, Professor of Technical Communication, Utah State University
 

"I strongly believe that this book will dominate the competition in terms of sales as a textbook."
—Clay Spinuzzi, Professor of Technical Communication, University of Texas, Austin

"Usability Testing has proved to be an invaluable resource for our new online graduate course on usability testing. Not only does the book take the students through testing in a professional and thorough way, it also provides academic depth and details of current research to support usability methodology.  Students are able to complete their usability project with ease and to a level required by industry, independently. Usability Testing is an ideal text for an online teaching environment." 
—Alison Reynolds, Programme Leader, Graduate Diploma in Technical Communication, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, New Zealand

"I'm using the book in my graduate usability class. It's top-notch; very down-to-earth with a perfect balance of theory and practice. The activities are excellent, too. I look forward to seeing what kinds of projects grow out of the semester's work. Congratulations on the completion of this major contribution to the field. I'm sure it will be widely used both in clasrooms and corporations." 
—Karla Saari Kitalong, University of Central Florida, Orlando