Usability Testing Essentials,

Edition 3 Ready, Set ...Test!

Editors: By Carol M. Barnum

Publication Date: 04 Nov 2026

Educator ancillaries

0 Reviews

Conformance

PDF/UA-1
The publication contains a conformance statement that it meets the EPUB Accessibility 1.1, WCAG 2.1, Level AA standard. Please see https://bornaccessible.benetech.org/certified-publishers/ for further details of our compatibility testing.
The publication was certified on 20250625
Accessibility addendum
The certifier's credential is https://bornaccessible.benetech.org/certified-publishers/
For detailed accessibility information, see Elsevier’s website at https://www.elsevier.com/about/accessibility
Compatibility tested
For queries regarding accessibility information, contact [email protected]

Ways Of Reading

This e-publication is accessible to the full extent that the file format and types of content allow, on a specific reading device, by default, without necessarily including any additions such as textual descriptions of images or enhanced navigation.
All contents of the digital publication necessary to use and understanding, including any text, images (via alternative descriptions), video (via audio description) is fully accessible via suitable audio reproduction.

Navigation

The contents of the PDF have been tagged to permit access by assistive technologies as per PDF-UA-1 standard.
Page breaks included from the original print source

Additional Accessibility Information

All (or substantially all) textual matter is arranged in a single logical reading order (including text that is visually presented as separate from the main text flow, e.g., in boxouts, captions, tables, footnotes, endnotes, citations, etc.). Non-textual content is also linked from within this logical reading order. (Purely decorative non-text content can be ignored).
The language of the text has been specified (e.g., via the HTML or XML lang attribute) to optimise text-to-speech (and other alternative renderings), both at the whole document level and, where appropriate, for individual words, phrases or passages in a different language.
For readers with color vision deficiency, use of color (e.g., in diagrams, graphics and charts, in prompts, or on buttons inviting a response) is not the sole means of graphical distinction or of conveying information
Content is enhanced with ARIA roles to optimize organization and facilitate navigation
Where interactive content is included in the product, controls are provided (e.g., for speed, pause and resume, reset) and labelled to make their use clear.

Note

This product relies on 3rd party tooling which may impact the accessibility features visible in inspection copies. All accessibility features mentioned would be present in the purchased version of the title.

Usability Testing Essentials: Ready, Set ...Test!, Third Edition presents a practical, step-by-step approach to learning the entire process of planning and conducting a usability test. The book explains how to analyze and apply results and what to do when confronted with budgetary and time restrictions. This is the ideal book for anyone involved in usability or user-centered design—from students to seasoned professionals. Updated throughout, this book reflects the latest approaches, tools, and techniques needed to begin usability testing or to advance in this area.

Key Features

Provides a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to usability testing, a crucial part of every product’s development
Discusses important usability issues such as international testing, persona creation, remote testing, and accessibility
Presents new examples covering mobile devices and apps, websites, web applications, software, and more
Offers strategies for using tools for moderated and unmoderated testing, task analysis, and analyzing and reporting results
Includes a sample syllabus, guidelines for project test reports and heuristic evaluation, an image bank, instructor's guide, an oral presentation guide, questions, exercises, a sample of usability test plan, and more

About the author

By Carol M. Barnum, Director and Co-founder, Usability Center, Southern Polytechnic, Graduate Program Director for MS in Information Design and Communication Program, USA

Title Reviews

Review of the previous edition:
"Readers will find in this book a complete workflow for becoming competent usability researchers. Though the book doesn’t cover every possible nuance of usability testing—no one volume could accomplish that—Usability Testing Essentials is perhaps one of the most complete books on usability testing available. More importantly, it is written where even a complete novice can understand, but it also contains a wealth of wisdom that seasoned professionals will find useful as a reference guide to the most difficult art and science that is usability testing."—Technical Communication

Access to teacher/student resources is available to registered users with approved review copies or confirmed adoptions. To review this material, please request a review copy.