I’ve worked hard on this document; can you help me meet my deadline?

• Please tell me what you like about it — I’ll feel so affirmed and flattered.
• If you get stuck, or hesitate, I will tell you what to do, so we can get through this testing faster.
• If you start making any serious suggestions, my face will cloud over with a look of pain, since I don’t want to hear anything but praise.

Dennis G. Jerz

—Usability Testing: Quick Tips for Designing TestsD.G. Jerz)

How not to conduct a usability test. The document contains eight tips I’ve collected after watching my technical writing students.