Usability Testing

Question

Usability testing refers to evaluating a product or service by testing it with representative users. The goal is to identify any usability problems, collect qualitative and quantitative data, and determine participants’ satisfaction with the product.

During a usability test, designers will

learn if participants are able to complete specified tasks successfully;
identify how long it takes to complete specified tasks;
find out how satisfied participants are with the website;
identify changes required to improve user performance and satisfaction; and
analyze performance to see if it meets usability objectives.
The test results inform development by providing authentic feedback for the product designers. Usability testing is not just a milestone to be checked off on the project schedule. Because building usability into a website is an iterative process, usability tests are conducted throughout the development cycle.

Most standard usability tests take approximately one hour and involve participants trying to complete typical tasks or find specific information. Participants are instructed to think aloud as they work so observers can hear their first impressions and struggles as they try to complete the tasks.

Sometimes the tasks are defined by participants who already know what they want to do on the website. Alternately, participants work through scenarios: very short stories that provide context for tasks identified by the designers. The sample scenario below was written for a tourism site.

You and three friends are planning to go to the AnyTown annual music festival. Find and book a hotel for the night. Then find three restaurants within walking distance of the hotel and write an e-mail to your friends including links to the restaurants so the group can choose where to have dinner.

Usability-testing scenarios should not include any information about how to accomplish a task. The usability test will show how the participant accomplishes a task and whether the interface facilitates completing the scenario.

At the end of the session, participants might be asked neutral questions about the experience and specific words or phrases they used.

Document 2

Developing Scenarios for a Usability Test: Some Tips

Identify your primary users.
Determine what tasks your website should help them complete.
Clearly state the users’ end goals.
Be specific about criteria and/or conditions.
Avoid clues about the steps needed to get to the goal.
Tell the users what to do; don’t ask the user how to do something.
Write in the users’ words, not the product’s or the designers’.
Focus on the users’ end goals.
Avoid promoting features of the site.
Make the task authentic.
Provide engaging, realistic context.
Question
What is the rationale behind Document 1 (Usability Testing)?

A.Feedback on current websites indicates that users are frustrated and confused.
B.Users have their own reasons for visiting a website.
C.Analyzing data from website browsing helps designers learn what is important to users.
D.Understanding usability tests and their benefits will encourage designers to use them.
E.Getting input from real users at the beginning of a project is essential to the design process.

Answer 1

The rationale behind Document 1 (Usability Testing) is best represented by option E. Getting input from real users at the beginning of a project is essential to the design process.

This option captures the essence of usability testing, which emphasizes the importance of gathering authentic feedback from representative users throughout the development cycle in order to improve product design and user satisfaction. Usability testing aims to align the product with user needs and experiences, making user input crucial to creating a successful design.