1. Kristi Leach
WhyTechComm.com
@kristil
kwritenow@gmail.com
Grassroots Documentation Testing

2. Tech writer/help systems/6 yrs
Degree in creative writing
STC! Web work for STC UX SIG, member of Chicago Chapter, VP and President of the Suncoast Chapter
Lots of tech comm interestswhy a workshop about testing?
3. DIY because thats all I can get away with.
4. NVC because I got my ass kicked.
Photo by _Nezemnaya_
5. Collaboration because I got stuck.
Photo by cogdogblog
6. Please contribute to the blog post after the session.
http://whytechcomm.com/stc/grassroots-doc-testing-workshop-sacramento-summary/
Photo by plasticrevolver
7. Who do we have in our group today?
Photo by aka*kirara
8. What do we mean by scenario?
Ginny Redishsdefinition from Letting Go of the Words (p.24): Scenarios are short stories that give you agood sense of the people who come to your site, what their lives are like, and what they want to do at your web site.
Pretend circumstances + a task for the tester to complete.
Photo by Jenniferschwalm
9. Example: Pages 9 and 10
Lets write a scenario for this illustration.
10. This exercise is a proxy.
How is this experience similar to what you would experience if you did this at your company?
Photo by //amy//
11. What do we mean by severity?
Each group decide your two most severe challenges.
At which points did you have difficulty?
Based on Steve Krugs definition from Rocket Surgery Made Easy (p.105):

Will a lot of people experience this problem?

12. Will it cause a serious problem for the people who experience it, or is it just an inconvenience?Photo by joiseyshowaa
13. Form groups of 4-5 people and write your own scenario. (15 minutes)
14. Choosing two scenarios and testers
Who has a finished scenario we can run?
15. Run the testing scenarios. (5 minutes)
Choose a test to observe.
16. List the things that were difficult. (Its not time for solutions yet . . .)
Reminder: this is a proxy. Try to name difficulties that you would likely experience at your company.
Think of Krugs definition of severity: consider frequency and degree of difficulty.
17. Now its time for solutions.
Photo byMichael Silberstein
18. Kristi Leach |WhyTechComm.com | @kristilkwritenow@gmail.com
Low-Budget Testing Resources
Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve Krug: http://www.sensible.com/rocketsurgery/index.html
The Usability and User Experience STC SIG website: http://www.stcsig.org/usability/
Undercover User Experience Design by Cennydd Bowles and James Box: http://undercoverux.com/resources.php
Collaboration Resources
Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg: NVC website: http://www.cnvc.org/
The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense by Suzette Haden Elgin. Elgin's website: http://www.adrr.com/aa/
Words that Work in Business by Ike Lasater: http://wordsthatwork.us/site/resources/articles/