How to Play KEMPS Usability Test Memo 

Introduction

I performed a usability test on my WikiHow article, How to play KEMPS. The research that I collected is significant to readers and the editors of my WikiHow article. I tested four college students in my class, all young adults, which is the most likely group to play the game. The data I collected exposes the strengths and weakness of my article, such as the understandability and lack of illustrations of examples. I will use these results to edit my article specifically by adding a couple graphics and making it more concise for readers. These results will help me edit my article and bring it closer to the final draft for the coauthors and readers.

Objectives

The goal of my usability test was to expose the flaws and strong sections of my WikiHow article, How to Play KEMPS, as well as finding out if how teachable the game is without learning directly from an experienced player in person. I also wanted to assure myself that the audience I chose to perform the usability test on was the best audience by asking how likely they were to play the game again and have friends learn it.

Method

I designed this test as a performance test because I believe the best way to learn how to play the game KEMPS is to perform the steps. A performance usability test is a usability test that requires users to perform the same steps that are asked of readers of the article. I chose users that were all both young adults and college students, that is one of the groups that are most likely to play and enjoy the game. The test consisted of 2 rounds of KEMPS in which the users were able to read the steps and perform the steps at the same time for the first round and then play without the guide for the second round to make sure that they understood how to play. While users did the test, i recorded the data onto a webpage.

First, I had users read the setup of the game and perform the listed steps. I then asked users to read the warnings section so that they understand the risks that come with playing KEMPS. After setting the game up, users were to read the objective of the game and understand what the goal of the game is, and then review the four different ways to win the round. After users read the objective and understood the goal, I had them read and perform the steps on how to reach the goal of the game followed by the section of rules of the game. This part of the test is long but should be observed closely to catch when users are doing something wrong or breaking the rules. Record data on how clear the instruction set is by observing what rules are broken and why. After this round is completed, users are to read the tips section so they can perform the steps at a higher level. Users should then play a second round to see how well they understand and can play KEMPS without the instruction set. After a team wins the round, start asking the users the the follow-up questions.

This method is a very useful way of testing the usability of my article. The facilitator of the test can easily observe the users perform the steps first-hand while recording data. A performance test is also great because the facilitator is able to intervene when users get confused for stuck on any steps. This method is also very fun and entertaining at the end which will leave users with a good impression and in a good mood.

Results & Discussion

The Usability test of my article, How To Play KEMPS, went much better than i thought it would. During the test, users initially looked confused and were not commenting much while learning how to play but after starting the game, i realized that they actually were just processing all of the rules and steps in their head. Once the game started they were immediately on board and seemed to understand most of the game. There were still a few issues though. The issues that I noticed were:

• Players were slightly confused with the dealing process.
• Players were not sure when to discard the cards.

I believe that all of these issues were due to players misreading the article. There is much information to process but I didn't have to intervene at all because players were able to clarify steps and rules for each other. This means that the few issues that I recorded during the test were likely due to a misread of the step/rule.

Following the first round, I had players read the tips in order to make the game more competitive for the next round; which is played full speed without the help of the guide so that I can see how well players learned the game. After this round was complete, I asked the follow-up questions to all of the players and recorded the results.

All players said the game was very fun and that they would like to play again. All players expressed plans to teach the game to friends and family and that they would be a lot more comfortable playing with people that they were closer to because of how physical the game can get. When I asked players about how understandable the article is, they all agreed that it would be easier to understand if I added a couple pictures.

The main edit that I believe that I need to address to my article is adding a few pictures in order to make some steps more understandable like the users suggested. All players agreed that a few pictures would be helpful in my article so I added a couple. By adding a few pictures I hope that some clarity is added to those steps. I added a picture of the seating arrangement so that readers can better understand to sit perpendicular to the other team and directly across from their partner. I also added a picture of a player's hand to illustrate exactly what KEMPS is so readers know exactly what I mean when I say that KEMPS is "exactly only four of a kind."

Conclusion

This performance test was conducted in order to find the parts of my wikiHow article, How to Play KEMPS, that were hard to understand and/or needed more clarity. From this performance test, i learned that my article was a lot closer to a final draft than I previously had thought before testing it. I barely had to change anything in the article based off of my usability test results. The results that i received were very significant for the editing of my article. The results informed me of how usable my article was and what could be better clarified. I will use these results to further improve my article.