Usability testing is a technique for ensuring that the intended users of a system can carry out the intended tasks efficiently, effectively and satisfactorily. In other words, Usability testing should be an iterative practice, completed several times during the design and development life-cycle. The end result is an improved product and a better understanding of the users that we’re designing it for.
Main steps in the usability testing process are Planning, Gathering Data and Reporting results.
There are two scenarios for usability testing:
1. If you are a software product vendor, testing real users of your product means you are evaluating for design. Based on how you have designed the application, can users complete the tasks they need to do? Testing real users doing real tasks can also point out if the UI guidelines you are following are working within the context of your product, and when consistency helps or hinders the users’ ability to do their work.
2. If you are a software product purchaser, you can do usability testing to evaluate a product for purchase. For example, your company might consider buying a product for their twenty thousand employees. Before the company spends its money, it wants to make sure that the product in question will really help employees do their jobs better. Usability testing can also be useful to see if the proposed application follows published UI style guidelines (internal or external). It’s best to use UI guidelines as an auxiliary, rather than primary, source of information for making purchase decisions.
This Guide is discussing on the first scenario ‘evaluating for design’.
When Usability Testing is appropriate?
Usability testing is carried out pre-release so that any significant issues identified can be addressed. It can be carried out at various stages of the design process as well. In the early stages, however, techniques such as walkthroughs are often more appropriate.
Article is prepared by:
Anushka Wickramaratne
Senior QA Engineer
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