Guidelines for usability testing with children

Reviewer: Joseph L. Podolsky

This article is a delight on several levels. First, it covers its topic, usability testing with children, very well. Second, it is an example of a welcome trend in computing products, focusing on the usability needs of specific population segments. Third, many of the suggestions the authors make are as applicable to usability testing with adults as they are to testing with children. The authors describe their methods clearly, explaining all phases of the testing process, including the setup and planning, introductions, the testing itself, and the finishing steps. Their suggestions are specific; in some cases, they include the scripts they use to accomplish a task. Most enjoyable, however, is the richness of their descriptions. For example, in the setup phase, they suggest finding an appropriate balance between a “child friendly” and an adult-oriented testing environment. They note that once, when one of the testers added floor pillows to a room, a child decided that pillow fighting was more fun than testing. The authors also discuss important issues that are related to testing but are not strictly part of the process. For example, they discuss how they established the need for confidentiality with both the children and their parents. They also explain how to choose subjects, especially noting problems with using the children of colleagues or of other computing professionals. The authors conclude that the rules for testing with adults generally apply to testing with children. I was struck more by the reverse, that the rules for testing with children also apply generally. For example, they say that testers should “establish a relationship with children…by engaging them in small talk” and “motivate older children by emphasizing the importance of their role.” They also advise testers to “show children and parents around the lab.…Letting children see the workings of the lab gives them a better sense of control and trust in you.” Clearly, this article is full of good suggestions for working with children of all ages.