Deep Dive into Usability Testing

Deep Dive into Usability Testing

Usability testing refers to evaluating a product or service by testing it with representative users. Typically, during a test, participants will try to complete typical tasks while observers watch, listen and take notes.  The goal is to identify any usability problems, collect qualitative and quantitative data and determine the participant’s satisfaction with the product.

Benefits of Usability Testing

Usability testing lets the design and development teams identify problems before they are coded. The earlier issues are identified and fixed, the less expensive the fixes will be in terms of both staff time and possible impact to the schedule.  During a usability test, you will:

• Learn if participants are able to complete specific tasks successfully and
• Identify how long it takes to complete specific tasks
• Find out how satisfied participants are with your Web site or other product
• Identify changes required to improve user performance and satisfaction
• And analyze the performance to see if it meets your usability objectives