What would you do before you fly for vacation? Chances are you might inspect your luggage, purchase travel insurance, and review your to-do list. This is to ensure everything will go well according to plans, yes?
What’s user testing?
Usability testing is a method of evaluating the ease of use among the users in regards to the websites and applications under the observation of researchers. The observation is to monitor how users respond to the assets and evaluate their feedback.
3 types of usability testing:
Moderated In-Person: Researcher will be co-located with the participant(s) during the test sessions
Moderated Remote: Participants monitored by a researcher in a separate location
Unmoderated Remote: Tests are administered via software-assisted programme to collect the results to be evaluated by a researcher
Major components of usability testing suggested by experts:
- Learnability: Can the users accomplish tasks learning at first contact?
- Efficiency: Once users have become adept, how fast can they complete the tasks?
- Memorability: After a period of no contact with the product, are the users able to use the product smoothly?
- Errors: What are the errors made, the frequency, and severity?
- Satisfaction: How satisfied are the users with the products?
How to improve usability testing?
Researchers can undertake some basic tactics to improve usability testing.
- Recruit representative users (such as users of a particular app)
- Request the users to perform representative tasks with the design
- Observe the activities and user experience of the users, where they succeed, and the difficulties they faced
It is best to allow users to interact independent of interventions to avoid contamination of results. Researcher is not recommended to interject their opinions on the users which may colour their perceptions. Testing a small number of participants is also better than running a big elaborate test. The better use of resources enable small tests to be carried and execute immediate revisions. Continuous redesigning of user interface is better known as iterative design which is instrumental in producing better test results.
How can usability testing improve user satisfaction?
Conducting the arduous process of usability testing serves not only to create happy users, but to see developer able to meet developer goals as well.
| User benefits | Provider benefits |
| Increase the length of usage associated with the product features | Reduce the time and cost of development |
| Nurture better affinity with the product | Reduce the cost of post maintenance |
| Assist users to accomplish their aims of usage | Lower the chances of user errors |
Product which underwent exhaustive usability testing tend to fare better with users due to greater ease of use and control. As a result, the provider also enjoy lucrative return on investments for their efforts.
What type of test results can be obtained?
Two types of results can be produced:
Qualitative: Direct observation and assessment how participants interact with the specific UI is collected. Researcher is to identify features of UI which is easy or hard to use by the users during the tests. Real time interaction between researcher and the participants may take place to determine root cause of problems and implement changes in revisions.
Quantitative: Indirect assessment of the UI design is collected. This is based on the participants’ task performance or questionnaire. Quantitative metrics of data may highlight probable causes of errors plus the concrete proof in numbers to support the observation. However, a reference point is essential to determine a scope for researchers to draw comparison.
Ideally, qualitative and quantitative data should be collected during usability testing to complement the strengths in both methods. Statistics can be given a voice thanks to user verbal feedback to infer reasonable explanations and mitigation strategies.
Conclusion
Usability testing is an integral part in developing the next big thing in IT industry. Designing good UI should be done on the principle of Occam’s razor whereby users’ goal must be met in the simplest manner. Barriers to achieve equilibrium in usability testing is achievable by well-trained researchers. Ample skills and knowledge may take repeated scenarios to accumulate, but it can certainly be assisted with our Human Factors International courses. Info Trek offer HFI programmes which are
- HRDF Claimable
- Conducted by certified trainers
- Optional mode (Public/private class)
Take a cue from our guide and kick start your journey to better usability testing with our experts.
