D2. Guide of Debrief Session

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Guide - Debrief Session

The purpose of a debrief session is to:

Create a list of the most serious usability problems that participants encountered using the site.
Prioritize which problems can be easily fixed and which require more time/effort. Usability test debrief sessions help the group reach consensus about next steps.

For each site that was tested:

Review the list of problems observed during each session.
Go through the list of tests, by date, and ask the moderator and observer who were present for that test to say at least three problems they noticed. If there are more than three, choose the three most severe.
The facilitator will write each problem on a whiteboard/flip chart. If a problem was observed at multiple tests, put a tick mark next to it.
When each test has been reviewed, go through the list of problems and discuss which are the most serious.
Briefly discuss how these issues might be addressed before the next round of testing.

Stick to what you observed, not what you inferred, and not opinions you heard (ex. A participant saying, “I hate this font” or “I never use search boxes” are not solid observations.)
Focus on the most severe problems first. “Serious” problems are those that:
- Many participants experience.
- Prevent users from accomplishing their work (they are more than an inconvenience).
Make sure you can access to the video recordings during the debrief meeting in case there is anything you want to review.
Acknowledge that you can’t fix every single problem. Even fixing a few issues will improve the usability of the site.