Usability Testing: It can be a bear
by Janea TriplettDownload: Slides, Video Podcast
I was watching Fox News [1] the other night and just happened to catch a segment on product testing with bears. Yes, real, live, 500-pound grizzly bears! The report mentioned that the human-bear interaction problem had been escalating [2]. Two reasons were given: 1) the decline in wild habitat, and 2) the increase in readily-available fast food via neighborhood trash cans. You're probably asking, what does this have to do with human-computer interaction? Well, this seemed like a quirky way to drive home a point about the importance of user research and usability testing in product design. So "bear" with me as I draw the connections.
The Problem
For those of us living in Iowa, the human-bear interaction problem is far removed from our Midwest, agrarian world view. The creatures invading our trash receptacles are the occasional crow, stray tomcat, or hungry raccoon. However, the American black bear [3] can be found in thirty-nine of the lower forty-eight states and the massive grizzly bear [4] inhabits four states. The consequences of human-bear conflict in these regions can result in harm to humans and, more often, destruction of the bear.
Once bears associate people with food, the conflict escalates. To address the problem, some homeowners built wooden cages to contain their trash, but these makeshift efforts proved no match for the burly bear. Manufacturers attempted to build sturdy trash containers. But these businesses soon lost credibility with consumers because the products were expensive and usually ineffective. State and federal agencies pursued catch-and-release programs, but the bears often returned.
A Solution
Keeping the bears from wandering out of their wild habitat to engage in dumpster-diving was seen as one solution to the conflict. The challenge for manufacturers was to design bear-resistant trash containers, but how? The only test of the product came after it was manufactured, marketed, and sold to the public.
The Living with Wildlife Foundation [5] partnered with four state and federal agencies to create an opportunity for product testing with live grizzly bears. In 2003, the program was officially launched and product testing began at the Grizzly Discovery Center [6]. A protocol [7] was written to specify measures to protect the bear from harm, to dictate the time of the test, and to certify the conditions under which the product passed or failed. Testing fees ranged from $150 to $250 and the testing times ranged from sixty to ninety minutes of bear contact. The interaction was photographed and video-taped for later analysis (view the BearSaver test video [8]).
Eight bears of varying size and talent were participants in the program. Manufacturers could test their trash containers, discover any weaknesses, and make modifications before the final product was sold to the public. This program assured consumers that their newly purchased trash receptacles had passed grizzly testing - literally.
The HCI Connection
In the human-bear interaction case study there were two competing audiences with very different goals. The human consumer wanted a product that was affordable, easy to use, and an effective deterrent. The bears, of course, wanted a product that was easy to break into so that they could get their delicious reward. The manufactures, being humans, could test the usability of the latches and locks. However, the "right person" to test the overall strength of the system was a 500-pound grizzly bear. Pre-market product testing benefited manufacturers, consumers, and the bears. (Though the bears might say otherwise!)
In addition to highlighting the importance of conducting user testing to solve product and usability issues, the case study also illustrated the aspect of fun in test design. Kuniavsky [9] alluded to this point by stating, "Then give them a present for their time, thank them, and send them on their way." The container testing program demonstrated that the tasks created to address the usability goals could also be enjoyable for the participants. The grizzly bears used their best strategies and their natural abilities in order to solve a problem and they were clearly having a good time in the process. If the test failed, they won by cracking into the container full of fish. Even if the test succeeded, the bears still won by spending time engaged in a stimulating experience.
The connecting factor between what may seem like two unrelated interactions (human–bear and human-computer) was the importance of user research and usability testing. The complex problems associated with human-bear conflicts were being solved by directly involving the grizzly bear in product testing programs. Similarly, human-computer interaction challenges may be solved by conducting research and usability tests.
Take Home Point
If they can do it with 500-pound grizzly bears, then we certainly can do usability testing with people.
References
1. Fox News2. Department of Natural Resources
3. American Black Bear
4. Grizzly Bear
5. Living with Wildlife Foundation
6. Grizzly Discovery Center
7. Testing Protocol
8. Bear Saver Test Video
9. Kuniavsky, M. "Observing the user experience: A practitioner's guide to user research" San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2003.