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
Your team is redesigning a website for Scenic Lawns and Gardens. Your team is now planning a website usability test. Based on these documents, which set of instructions for participants would be most appropriate?

A.You are seeking information on yard care. First, open the website using the Chrome browser. You should search under ‘Lawncare Ideas.’ Tell us if the information is understandable and useful.
B.You recently purchased a home with a large yard. You would like to explore different ideas and obtain price estimates for adding trees, bushes, and fencing. You also want to test the soil to determine fertilizer needs. Below is a link to the homepage of the website.
C.You want to grow tomatoes and add a strawberry patch to your backyard. In the Search Box, enter ‘tomatoes and strawberries.’ Look at the pages that come up. Determine whether the information is useful and understandable.
D.You are interested in lawns and gardens. Go to our website. Tell us if the website helps you to understand lawn and garden care.
E.
You have purchased an acre lot for developing a garden. You want to grow a wide variety of crops to sell at the local farmer’s market. You would like to see what vegetables and fruit trees grow best in our area. On the homepage, select the tab that reads ‘Gardens.’ Read the information on the page called ‘Vegetables’ and then read the page called ‘Fruit Trees.’

Answer 1

Based on the guidelines provided in the usability testing documents, the set of instructions for participants that would be most appropriate is:

B. You recently purchased a home with a large yard. You would like to explore different ideas and obtain price estimates for adding trees, bushes, and fencing. You also want to test the soil to determine fertilizer needs. Below is a link to the homepage of the website.

Explanation:

• User Goals: Option B clearly states the user’s end goals (exploring ideas and obtaining price estimates).
• Authenticity: The scenario feels authentic and realistic, as it connects to a common situation that potential users may face after purchasing a home.
• No Steps Provided: This option does not give specific instructions on how to accomplish tasks, which aligns with the guidance to avoid clues about the steps needed.
• Engaging Context: It provides a relatable context that users might find engaging while testing the website.

The other options either provide specific navigation instructions, which could lead users or make them follow a predetermined path, or do not focus on realistic user goals in a natural way as required by usability testing best practices.