UXPA Boston Conference 2015

Most of us eat and sleep with our smart phones. But there are still many people who find technology stressful and overwhelming. People with limited literacy skills are often included among this latter group.

By following a thoughtful, user-centered design process, you can overcome the common barriers to reaching and engaging people with limited literacy skills, such as:

•           Complex information and navigation

•           Unfamiliar tools

•           New technology

Reaching out to and receiving meaningful feedback from audiences with limited literacy skills can be challenging and requires special considerations. This presentation will offer tips for conducting user testing with limited literacy audiences.

From our experience conducting usability research with hundreds of participants with limited literacy skills, we’ll share lessons learned and practical tips for a user-centered design process that leads to easy-to-use, accessible content and tools. 

This presentation will detail proven strategies for:

•           Recruiting participants

•           Developing questions and prompts in plain language

•           Moderating testing sessions

We’ll discuss user-centered design methods that are particularly effective in gaining insights from participants with limited literacy skills, including collaging, card sorting, and in-person usability testing. We’ll also talk about how to choose the right software and testing environment to meet this audience’s needs.

Lastly, we will explore — through case studies — the behaviors, habits, and preferences of limited literacy users.