Refreshing! This latest book by an old master (Joe Dumas ...with Beth Loring) wastes little time in the big picture before getting down to the business of providing practical guidance for conducting usability labs. It’s a small book that reaches beyond the ‘old standards’ to the heretofore nebulous “art” of facilitation. And those old standards have here been modernized to incorporate the latest technology impacting the field - such as the emergence of remote testing - and the issues that can often result.

And while I’m a little hesitant to concede that the “art” of conducting usability labs is something that can be learned from a book, Dumas and Loring do provide a plethora of examples to illustrate their techniques as well as – something I’ve never seen before – quotes from new and experienced practitioners highlighting their perspective. In addition to the resources in the book, there is also an online website with videos illustrating the techniques described.

So while Moderating Usability Tests may well be a good resource for newbies, I believe that this book’s real value is for experienced practitioners with a few years under their belt. Despite a slight tendency towards tiresome repetition, it’s a real gem and I’ll be adding it to my personal list of recommended reading. ( )