Last year, I purchased a new music system by paying Rs 5000/- and got it fitted in my car. While, I was driving back home listening to the radio, I got a phone call from home asking, "when would you be back?". I wanted to pause my music system. I could not find the pause button. I stopped my music system and attended the call. After, I attended the call, I noticed that the clock on the music system is showing wrong time. Then, I struggled to set the right clock time in my music system. I am sure, you all must have experienced these kinds of situations with great products. Thus, it just not enough, if we build great features in our products, it is extremely important to test the products from the end user point of view and ensure that our products are usable, accessible, desirable, findable and thus useful to the end user who often has zero knowledge on the product he/ she is purchasing. Usability testing helps addresses these challenges.
How well a product looks usually determines how well it works. Usability testing attempts to characterize the "look and feel" and usage aspects of a product, from the point of view of end users who actually use the system. It answers below questions and ensures that user satisfaction for our products.
1. Where do I click next?
2. Which page needs to be navigated?
3. Which Icon or Jargon represents what?
4. Error messages are not consistent or effectively displayed
5. Session time not enough.
1. Where do I click next?
2. Which page needs to be navigated?
3. Which Icon or Jargon represents what?
4. Error messages are not consistent or effectively displayed
5. Session time not enough.
Challenges involved: However, usability testing is not without challenges. Few of them are listed below:
1. Often usability testing engineers and consultants are brought in, just before an usability test release to complete the formalities. This may not improve the usability.
2. Even if usability test is done, it is done by engineers who are not adequately skilled/trained on usability.
3. Something that is easy for one user may not be easy for another user, due to different types of users a product can have.
4. Something what is considered fast (interms of say, response time) by one user may be slow for another users as the machines used by them and expectations of speed can be different.
5. Something that is considered beautiful by someone may look ugly to another
6. A view expressed by one user of the product may not be the view of another
For these reasons, I want to touch up usability testing checklist so that we can address the challenges and subjectivity involved.
1. Often usability testing engineers and consultants are brought in, just before an usability test release to complete the formalities. This may not improve the usability.
2. Even if usability test is done, it is done by engineers who are not adequately skilled/trained on usability.
3. Something that is easy for one user may not be easy for another user, due to different types of users a product can have.
4. Something what is considered fast (interms of say, response time) by one user may be slow for another users as the machines used by them and expectations of speed can be different.
5. Something that is considered beautiful by someone may look ugly to another
6. A view expressed by one user of the product may not be the view of another
For these reasons, I want to touch up usability testing checklist so that we can address the challenges and subjectivity involved.
Usability Testing Checklist: The primary goal of this testing is to find crucial usability problems before the product is launched. Following things must be considered to make a testing success:
1. Start the UX testing during the early stage of design and development
2. It's a good practice to conduct usability testing on your competitor's product before you begin development. This will help you determine usability standards for your target audience
3. Select the appropriate users to test the system (Can be experts/non-experts users/50-50 of Experts and Non-Experts users)
4. Testers need to concentrate on critical & frequently used functionalities of the system.
5. Assign a single observer to each tester. This helps observer to accurately note tester's behavior. If an observer is assigned to multiple testers, results may be compromised
6. Educate Designers and Developers that this testing outcomes is not a sign of failure but it's a sign of Improvement
1. Start the UX testing during the early stage of design and development
2. It's a good practice to conduct usability testing on your competitor's product before you begin development. This will help you determine usability standards for your target audience
3. Select the appropriate users to test the system (Can be experts/non-experts users/50-50 of Experts and Non-Experts users)
4. Testers need to concentrate on critical & frequently used functionalities of the system.
5. Assign a single observer to each tester. This helps observer to accurately note tester's behavior. If an observer is assigned to multiple testers, results may be compromised
6. Educate Designers and Developers that this testing outcomes is not a sign of failure but it's a sign of Improvement
Usability Testing Advantages:
1. It helps uncover usability issues before the product is marketed.
2. It helps improve end-user satisfaction
3. It makes your system highly effective and efficient
4. It helps gather true feedback from your target audience who actually use your system during a usability test. You do not need to rely on "opinions" from random people.
1. It helps uncover usability issues before the product is marketed.
2. It helps improve end-user satisfaction
3. It makes your system highly effective and efficient
4. It helps gather true feedback from your target audience who actually use your system during a usability test. You do not need to rely on "opinions" from random people.
Usability Testing Disadvantages:
1. Cost is a major consideration in usability testing. It takes lots of resources to set up a Usability Test Lab. Recruiting and management of usability testers can also be expensive.
However, these costs pay themselves up in form of higher customer satisfaction, retention and repeat business. Usability testing is therefore highly recommended.
1. Cost is a major consideration in usability testing. It takes lots of resources to set up a Usability Test Lab. Recruiting and management of usability testers can also be expensive.
However, these costs pay themselves up in form of higher customer satisfaction, retention and repeat business. Usability testing is therefore highly recommended.
Conclusion:
Usability is not achieved only by testing. Usability is more in the design and in the minds of people who contribute to the product.Usability is all about user experiences. Thinking from the perspective of the user all the time during the project will go a long way in ensuring usability. Please do not forgot, "How well a product looks usually determines how well it works". Thus, usability testing is now emerging as a discipline to help standout our products in the competition.
Usability is not achieved only by testing. Usability is more in the design and in the minds of people who contribute to the product.Usability is all about user experiences. Thinking from the perspective of the user all the time during the project will go a long way in ensuring usability. Please do not forgot, "How well a product looks usually determines how well it works". Thus, usability testing is now emerging as a discipline to help standout our products in the competition.