Certain data about user requirements are important in preparing usability tests or interpreting the results. When planning for requirements gathering, include such inquiries as the following:

• Users will interact with the product in what roles (e.g., bank teller, loan officer, system administrator, etc.)?
• What are the most common tasks? What tasks are crucial? What tasks are performed repetitively?
• Which roles perform which tasks?
• What are the typical characteristics of users in each role (e.g., education level, computer experience, age)?
• How frequently will a user interact with the product? Every day? Or every six months, on the average?
• Do users in a role have a high job turnover rate?
• How much training in the use of the product will users receive, if any?
• Will users often be interrupted while performing tasks with the product?
• Are there situations where the user must perform multiple tasks concurrently? What other applications will be running?
• Are some tasks commonly performed in a sequence?
• Do some tasks entail workflow or collaboration? If so, describe the typical process and exceptions.
• Will the user interact with things other than the computer during task performance?
• What input devices are typical? What are the minimum and typical display resolutions in use?
• Do some of the users suffer significant visual or motor impairments?

Answers to these questions are crucial to effective product design as well as to planning and interpreting usability tests of that design. For usability tests, such requirements data should guide the following:

• Recruitment of representative participants
• Selection of tasks to be tested
• The content and wording of the tasks
• The assignment of tasks to appropriate participants
• The input devices and display formats employed
• The simulation of realistic scenarios or situations during the test
• The extent to which the design should be expected to support a walk-up-and-use standard of usability
• Whether repetitive task performance should be tested.