I’ve discovered some pretty slick and painless ways to recruit participants for your usability test. Google recently released an easy way to create a questionnaire and have the posted form automatically fill out your Google spreadsheet.
Heres how you get started:

Step 1) Create a google spreadsheet

Step 2) Create your questionnaire form

Now you can create any combination of text entry, multiple choice, check-box based, or “choose from a list” based questions your potential participants will answer for you.

Step 3) Preview your form and copy the link

Step 4) Create a craigslist posting under Computer Gigs or related area for your test. Paste a link to your form in the craigslist posting as the only way to contact you.

Step 5) Watch the results populate in your spreadsheet

Now you’re all set and every time someone fills out the form, the results are magically posted to your google spreadsheeet. You can set up notifications on the spreadsheet so that you’re emailed as soon as there’s a posting.

This takes the time and hassle out of creating a contact sheet of usability participants.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 11th, 2008 at 9:26 pm and is filed under User Centered Design Tools. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.