Embedding equality, diversity and inclusion in usability testing: Recommendations and a research agenda

Abstract

Technologies support our everyday lives, and to ensure that people are not routinely excluded they must be usable by the wider population. However, technologies are not commonly tested with participants from a range of backgrounds. This paper reports on interviews and roundtable discussions with people whose identities can be underrepresented in usability testing and usability researchers to discuss how equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) can be embedded in usability testing.

Key findings include (1) when people participate in research they need a sense of value, trust and agency, and (2) challenges for researchers for embedding EDI in usability testing include organisational pressures, stakeholder culture, getting guidance and recruiting who you need. Recommendations are made to researchers, and to the organisations that employ them. Additionally, we propose a research agenda for a community of users, creators of services and products, usability researchers, and all those advocating for EDI in usability research.