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Usability testing is a technique used to evaluate a product by testing it on users. This can be seen as an irreplaceable usability practice, since it gives direct input on how real users use the system.

Usability testing usually involves a controlled experiment to determine how well people can use the product. The aim is to observe people using the product to discover errors and areas of improvement. Usability testing generally involves measuring how well test subjects respond in four areas: efficiency, accuracy, recall, and emotional response.

When a design has a usability problem, it’s because someone made a wrong decision. They chose to take the design in a direction that creates frustration for the user. A different design choice would have prevented the frustration.

 
We consider a usability test to be successful when the design team members receive the information they need to make the right decision. Successful usability tests produce informed decisions.

There are two outcomes from poor decisions: either the user experience is worsened because of a change that just shouldn’t have happened; or a valuable opportunity is missed to improve the design’s user experience. Either way, when usability tests work, these results are significantly less likely.

As we work with teams all over the globe, there are mistakes that we see frequently. These mistakes are very easy to prevent — if only the team members realized they were making them.

Usability testing lets the design and development teams identify problems before they get “set in concrete.” The earlier those problems are found and fixed, the less expensive the fixes are. As the project progresses, it becomes more and more difficult and expensive to make major design changes. The more you test and change based on what you learn, the more confident you can be that the site will meet your objectives and your users’ needs when it is launched.

Source: the Internet

Your websites can definitely benefit from the Usability Testing services, which we offer. Visit http://www.qcboss.com to learn more.

Usability testing is a technique used to evaluate a product by testing it on users. It is the process of observing users’ reactions to a product and adjusting the design to suit their needs. The product can be a Web site, Web application, or any other product. It does not have to be a finished product Marketing knows usability testing as “focus groups” and while the two differ in intent many of the principles and processes are the same.

In usability testing a basic model or prototype of the product is put in front of evaluators who are representative of typical end-users. They are then set a number of standard tasks, which they must complete, using the product. Any difficulty or obstructions they encounter are then noted by a host or observers and design changes are made to the product to correct these. The process is then repeated with the new design to evaluate those changes.

There are some fairly important tenets of usability testing that must be understood:

• Users are not testers or designers – you are not asking the users to make design decisions about the software. Users will not have a sufficiently broad technical knowledge to make decisions that are right for everyone. However, by seeking their opinion the development team can select the best of several solutions.

• You are testing the product and not the users – all too often developers believe that it’s a ‘user’ problem when there is trouble with an interface or design element. Users should be able to ‘learn’ how to use the software if they are taught properly. Maybe if the software is designed properly, they won’t have to learn it at all.

• Selection of end-user evaluators is critical –You must select evaluators who are directly representative of your end-users. Don’t pick just anyone off the street, don’t use management and don’t use technical people unless they are your target audience.

• Usability testing is a design tool – Usability testing should be conducted early in the lifecycle when it is easy to implement changes that are suggested by the testing. Leaving it till later will mean changes will be difficult to implement.

PDCA Cycle:

Plan (P): Device a plan. Define your objective and determine the strategy and supporting methods required to archive the objective.

Do (D): Executing the plan. Create the conditions and perform the necessary training to execute the plan.

Check (C): Check the results to determine whether work is progressing according to the plan and whether the results are obtained.

Action (A): Take the necessary action. If your check up reveals that the work is not being performed according to plan or results an not what was anticipated device measures for appropriate action.

Classes of Reviews:

1. Informal Review:

Ø Generally one to one meeting

Ø No agenda

Ø Results are not formally reported

Ø Occurs as needed throughout each phase.

2. Semi Formal Review:

Ø Facilitated by the author (the person who is responsible for the activity)

Ø Presentation is made with comment throughout and at the end

Ø Reports are distributed to the participants

Ø Possible solutions for defect not discussed

Ø Occur one or more times during phase.

3. Formal Reviews:

Ø Facilitated by the modulator (the person who has link between test engineer and Management)

Ø Assisted by a recorder

Ø Meeting are planned in advance

Ø Directly dependent on the preparation of participants.

The web is a powerful medium, through which any person or organization can publish its message for consumption or use by anyone who has access. Part of the value of the web is that content can be easily modified or added to as a message grows or changes. However, the downside to this non-permanence is the idea that the message or site does not need to be perfect before it is presented to the intended audience and participants. This is not a productive school of thought. We must realize that a website should be treated similar to any other marketing or informational piece and thoroughly reviewed for correct content and functionality through formal quality control procedures.

If you want a great Web site, you must test its usability. Just because no one has complained about your site doesn’t mean that all your visitors are using your site effectively, efficiently and to their full satisfaction.

Visitors won’t make the effort to complain unless you have outraged them in some way, or have provided an easy way for them to in touch with you from every page about the problems they may be having.

Who should be testing the website? The client? The development team? A third party? The answer is, “Yes, to all three.” Quality control personnel should consist of the client, the development team members and other personnel who are not involved with the creation of the site. This ensures that the site is reviewed by a variety of different people who have different relationships to – and expectations of – the site.