My UX Toolkit: Usability Testing
My UX Toolkit is a series of posts exploring different tools and techniques used in the user experience design and research process, my understanding of them, and when they can be applied. UX is a broad and varied space that can range from quantitative statistical analysis to graphic design, from branding and content strategy to storyboarding. Here I am trying to scratch the surface of how UXers UX, share my knowledge and further my own understanding of this vast career field.
Usability Testing
Usability testing is an observational research methodology where a UX professional asks a participant to perform a specific task on a user interface. It is often used at the end of a project cycle to uncover problems or validate designs before they are rolled out to the public. It can also be used as a new project is starting, to reveal areas of opportunity within an existing design.
Usability tests make great bookends to a UX process, where iteration means that the end of one cycle is the beginning of another. As a research method, usability tests can return both Quantitative and Qualitative information.
Quantitative information can be metrics like the time to accomplish a task, task success, and number of errors. Within the test plan there should be built in benchmarks of success,like minimums for time or errors for the test to be considered successful.
Qualitative information can be insights into how a user interacts with the product and why. If they go astray in trying to achieve a specific task, what line of thought led them in that specific direction. At times these tests may unveil that users are interacting with the product in totally unexpected ways.
Test Plan
You will most likely be evaluating a new feature or design, and can build the test plan around that function. You will want to decide which task you are testing and create a scenario to give context to the test participants. You will also need to decide which metrics you want to evaluate and any qualitative information you want to focus on. It can be helpful to create a script or conversation outline to help guide the flow of the test if it is being moderated.
Participants
First you must decide the number of participants and the criteria they must meet to be useful for the study. Generally for a test group 5-10 participants is considered best practice. More participants than that have a swiftly diminishing return on problems found within the product.
Criteria will be based on the product and task being tested. If you are testing a takeout delivery service app like postmates, you may want to focus on participants that already regularly use such apps. However if you are focused on attracting new users you may want to seek out participants that don’t have familiarity with delivery service apps.
Moderation
Moderated usability tests are more expensive and time consuming to conduct. However they produce a great deal more qualitative information than tests that take place without a moderator present. With someone conducting the test, they can prompt users to elaborate on their thinking as they perform the given task and ask insightful pointed follow up questions once the task is accomplished.
An Unmoderated usability test is a faster, less expensive way to quickly evaluate how users are interacting with a product. While you can ask participants to share their thoughts aloud as they accomplish the given task and follow up with comments and concerns you cannot ask any clarifying questions or dig for deeper context.
One of the main pros to this technique is that participants may feel less “put on the spot” or tense when there is no moderator present. However they will know they are being recorded in some capacity so may still feel awkward or stilted.
Usability testing is technically considered to be a part of UX Research, but this method should be a part of any UX design process. It is important to identify issues before rolling out a new design, issues that could frustrate casual users and send them away from a product.
