What is usability testing?
Usability testing is a technique developed to evaluate products by testing them on users, while observers watch, listen and write down their observations. Test subjects can be anything from consumer products and documents, to websites and web applications.
What is the goal of usability testing?
Before conducting a usability test, identify your specific concerns and know what you would like to achieve. Tailor your test to meet those goals and objectives.
In a standard usability test, you may want to:
• Identify any usability problems the product may have
• Gather quantitative data on your participants’ performance
• Establish your participants’ satisfaction with the product
When should usability testing be applied?
Usability testing is vital to success, and should be incorporated as soon as a project starts. The more you test, the quicker you can identify concerns and prevent future disaster. Fixing problems early will also save you money later on, especially if your project revolves around building a website. Initiating website design changes can be difficult and expensive, so prevent rather than fix.
Test early and test often! Be smart by developing a prototype website first. Thoroughly test and retest, then apply your findings to the real web application.
What can usability testing teach us?
Usability tests can show you:
• If test participants are able to successfully complete the task scenarios
• If the participants can or cannot successfully complete their tasks in a set time period
• How many pages or clicks it takes the participants to successfully complete their tasks
• If the test members can perform well enough to meet your usability objectives
• How satisfied the participants are with the site in general
• What changes need to be applied to make the site more user friendly
Once you have your first test results, more detail oriented questions may arise.
• Are participants clicking to pages directly, or did they use a search tool?
• What keywords did they use in their search?
• Is your search box large enough for possible search words?
• Is your search feature easy to find on the page?
• Do the search results provide the answers users are looking for?
• Are your search answers usually on the first result page that pops up?
• Does your search feature also provide answers to questions with typing errors?
What do you need to remember when usability testing?
Never forget that:
• You are testing your website and not the users.
• Performance counts, not preference.
• You should use what you learn.
• Solutions should be geared towards pleasing all your users, not just a select few.
You are testing the site not the users
Tell your test participants that you are not testing them, but your website. Whatever they do is right, and no-one will be judged. Explain that you can learn from anything they do, even if they are confused, and fail to complete a certain task. Also, explain to your test participants that they will be working with a prototype website, and that through their cooperation you will be able to perfect the real site.
You too, should keep in mind what you preach. Don’t try to fix your test participants, but rather concentrate on ironing out the bugs of your website.
Performance counts, not preference
Preference is established by listening to the comments of your test participants, while performance can be measured by reviewing test results. Although preference and overall satisfaction are important, performance should receive most of your attention.
Reviewing your usability test results you may notice that performance and preference do not always match. Sometimes people will say they like a website although they are struggling with their tasks. They may be blaming themselves for their problems, rather than the site, or they do not want to hurt your feelings by giving your site a low score.
To avoid misleading results, test often and with different testers. Thoroughly compare results before coming to final conclusions.
You should use what you learn
Do not test and file the results, but use your findings immediately to improve your site. Set priorities, enhance your prototype, and test again until results are satisfactory
Solutions should be geared towards pleasing all your users, not just a select few.
When developing a product, service, website or web application, you will have to consider a wide range of users. No user is alike. They all have their own way of operating things, their own experiences, come up with their own set of questions, and have different needs. As a project manager, you will have to balance all these challenges, on top of managing time restraints, your budget, and resources.
Taking all your constraints and substitutions into account, try to create a website or web application that will allow you to satisfy the highest number of users. A successful website will answer most users’ questions, and will allow them to complete their tasks without difficulty, and in a reasonable amount of time.
Do not set yourself a launch deadline, unless you are certain that your website can perform adequately. Make sure that you have considered all possible user personalities, scenarios, and design flaws. Fix your flaws before you go public with your site; it will not only make you more successful, but will also save you lots of money.
Evidence has shown that a less than optimal product will never achieve the success that could have been achieved if it had started off with a better interface.
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