Usability Testing

Usability Testing is about evaluating the User Experience (UX).

You can ask participants to perform specific or routine tasks using your product.

• Such as installing the product

• Saving a file etc.

Then the important factor is the observation of the user under controlled conditions.

What info can you collect?

There are multiple measures that can be measured to evaluate the experience of a user during a Usability Test

• Successful Task Rate

• Critical/Non Critical Errors

• Error Free Rate

• Task Times

• Subjective ratings or Likes/Dislikes and recommendations

• Eye Tracking Data

Think Aloud Protocol

Think Aloud Protocol is when a user will be invited to think out loud whilst using a product. They will say what they are thinking and try to describe their thought processes whilst using a piece of software.

• This can provide instant feedback

• Direct Observation

• There is chances for an observer to assist users 

• Can be instant after task dialogue

Usability testing can even be conducted at the design stage using wireframe models although it would usually be conducted using a high fidelity wireframe. A prototype involving a wireframe would have  hyperlinks and hotspots enabled so that even at an early design stage feedback can be gathered and changes made.

Changes made to layout etc. at this early stage will usually require far less time to to implement as opposed to changes made after Implementation.