Usability Testing Essentials

10 International usability testing

Know thy user, for he is not thyself.

—Rubinstein and Hersh

The Human Factor: Designing Computer Systems for People, 1984

Although this statement is written in language that reflects its time—the book in which it appears was published in 1984—the principle remains valid today; even more so when you are testing products for international users. In the chapters leading up to this one, I have presented the essentials for usability testing. This chapter narrows the focus to the specific challenges in testing for and with international users. These include:

• Learning about your international users and creating personas to represent them

• Understanding cultural differences and adapting to them

• Planning the ...