My instructions are pretty similar. The novice instructions are more detailed and explain the tools used and terminology for the user. The expert instructions really assume you know you way around the OS and cut to the point with less explanation of why your doing each step and are more cut to the chase type of thing. They provide the same commands and accomplish the same thing though.
I initially was going to do the markup testing with the user actually attempting the steps. However, the tools used in the guide can be hard to get your hands on sometimes. Especially a compatible wifi card. if you can't get your hands on a compatible card at least read through the instructions and markup anything you think needs work. Please also answer the questions provided. If you want a copy of the doc file to comment on just email me at mmckissi@purdue.edu and I'll get that to you. Thanks! Remember these instructions are to only be performed on your own network and not for any unlawful purposes.
Wifi Cracking Usability Test
1) Are there enough graphics? Where should I possibly add more?
A few more graphics may be needed such as where to find kismet and what kismet looks like. Otherwise it looks good.
2) What points do you get confused at?
Well, I got confused at many:
3) Are the steps relevant and did they adequately accomplish the overall process?
I do not believe that all the steps adequately accomplish cracking a network. Although I read through them many times, I may have missed a detail or two that is important. One thing that I thought that was different was my wireless adapter. It was ‘eth1’ instead of your ‘ath0’. I didn’t think that would make any difference though.
4) Are the novice and expert documents easy to differentiate or do I need to add/remove features in them?
This is where I am having problems with my own instructions. My instructions are too similar. The expert ones are basically the same but with less info. I believe yours follows that same path. I am not sure how to fix this exactly, but on mine I am trying to make the expert instructions extremely brief and then add other notes and helpful tips for the expert user. Also, maybe some other features that novice users do not need to know. You could try going down these paths to differentiate more.
5) What steps did you have trouble accomplishing and why?
Step 2 is where I got stuck. It seemed to me that my wireless adapter was always switching channels and would never stay on the same channel as the AP. I know little about this so I could be wrong.
Comments and Questions
Overall, the design of the instructions are good. However, I could not verify if steps 3-5 are good. There are some things to change, which I mentioned in question 2. Another question you may want to address is if you have to open a new terminal every time you type something different. I wasn’t for sure on this. A main point you need to address is reading through the glossary. As a normal person, I tried rushing through this, skimming the instructions at first. I glanced over the Glossary of Terms, but soon realized there are details that you need to know in there, some of them being instructions. I would make the glossary stand out a little more, or say something to the user that they have to read it.
Test
I'll try this.
Andy
Testing Complete
Questions:
1. Are there enough graphics? Where should I possibly add more?
More pictures would be nice but I’m not sure where/how you could add them. Screenshots would be mildly useful at best. I’d say for your task you really won’t have that many pictures.
2. What points do you get confused at?
In the Novice instructions under “We use kismet for two reasons”, the second bullet point seems quite wordy for the Novice instructions. I either simplify this point and/or move it to the Expert instructions.
3. Are the steps relevant and did they adequately accomplish the overall process?
I wasn’t able to attempt the process but the steps seem relevant and appear to accomplish the task.
4. Are the novice and expert documents easy to differentiate or do I need to add/remove
features in them?
The expert version seems to be the novice instructions with less explanation. If possible I’d add more features to it. Not really sure what features you could add though as I don't know the programs very well. Maybe how to automate the process? Explain more command flags?
5. What steps did you have trouble accomplishing and why?
I was unable to attempt this due to my wireless card be dumb so I can’t adequately answer this question.
Comments
• You did a good job describing the different flags on certain commands.
• I recommended breaking up some of your paragraphs into smaller bits of bulleted lists.
• Same thing with your overall steps. You did a good job breaking them by task but subdividing them could help. Step 1a, 1b, etc. Step 1 for example is quite is long with lots of paragraphs.
Andy