Usability testing: Observation rather than opinion

Usability testing is about gathering empirical data from actual usage of an interface by real users conducting actual real-life tasks. These tests can help you find out how well the user interface fits your users' needs and expectations.

Traditional market research methods, such as focus groups and surveys are useful to understand high-level user requirements but have proven to have limited success for successful product design.

To really understand your users, its far more effective to get a group of users to start using the interactive product, watching them and gathering empirical data.

How are the tests done?

A trained usability moderator conducts the tests and an assistant takes notes to track user expectations, user behavior and ergonomic show stoppers that frustrate the user. The findings are then analysed and used as a basis for re-design.

Test early

Including usability methodlogies early in the development process lets you determine the value of each feature and how well people recognize and value each one. Do you use all the features in your hand phone? Probably not.

Every feature adds cost and increases the amount of testing you will have to do. With usability testing early, before developtment begins, you can find out for sure which features are worth building.

How can we test something that isn't built yet?

Usability testing can take place anytime within the product development cycle. By using prototypes of varying fidelity (paper prototypes, wireframes or design comps), we can start evaluating user expectations and get maximum feedback for minimum effort. After a few usability tests, you'll have confidence that you're implementing the right thing.

Types of Prototypes

Paper prototype: Sketches or printouts of potential page layouts. Respondents may need to use a bit of imagination when assessing early-stage deliverables, but it's an excellent way to test page layouts.

Design comp: Visual designs or mockups of proposed pages.

Wire frame: Early versions of a site with limited depth and functionality. Useful for testing processes (registration, purchase, and so on) and site flow.

>> Five Paper Prototying Tips

Usability fixes can be quickly implemented.

With a paper prototype, you can revise the interface very quickly, even during a usability test itself. If a term is confusing, you can cross it out and try a different one. Simple changes like these can solve many usability problems.

Test, test and test again.

Its an interative process of constant imrpovement until design stability is reached. With wireframes, structural problems associated with flow can easily be fixed. Even when there is a need for more substantial changes, it can usually be done in matter of hours.

The next iterations will reveal "smaller" problems.

As testing progresses and design iterations lead to design enhancements, you will find that eventually, users will not face the same problems again. However other "smaller" problems become apparent. Once again, it does not take long to fix up the prototypes and test again.

How many tests should be conducted?

According to the excellent Usability Engineering Institute (UEI) founded by the intrepid Jared Spool, more tests are required as the complexity of your product increases. "Because of the increased complexity of web sites, it's understandable that more users are needed to detect the majority of usability problems... if you're working on a large e-commerce site the usability of your site would likely benefit from ongoing testing. Instead of thinking of usability testing as a discrete activity that takes place every 6 months and involves six, eight or twelve users, think about the advantages of ongoing usability testing, bringing in a user or two every week".

>> More usability testing resources

About the author
	Gul Amir Khan is the Chief Usability Consultant for MicroUsability. Gul has been trained in Game Theory and Strategic Behavior Analysis and has incorporated these techniques in web usability engineering. He has conducted numerous usability projects and usability workshops across Asia.