Usability Testing By: Abeera Saeed Abira Abid Bhutta Submitted to: Ma’am Maryam Akhtar BESE-19B

Usability Testing “Usability testing is a technique used in user-centered interaction design to evaluate a product by testing it on users. This can be seen as an irreplaceable usability practice, since it gives direct input on how real users use the system. This is in contrast with usability inspection methods where experts use different methods to evaluate a user interface without involving users”

Approach  Usability testing focuses on measuring a human-made product's capacity to meet its intended purpose.  Usability testing measures the usability, or ease of use, of a specific object or set of objects, whereas general human-computer interaction studies attempt to formulate universal principles.  Examples Examples of products that commonly benefit from usability testing are foods, consumer products, web sites or web applications, computer interfaces, documents, and devices.

Features of Usability Testing  In usability testing basically the testers tests the ease with which the user interfaces can be used. It tests that whether the application or the product built is user-friendly or not.  Usability Testing is a black box testing technique.  Usability testing also reveals whether users feel comfortable with your application or Web site according to different parameters – the flow, navigation and layout, speed and content – especially in comparison to prior or similar applications.  Usability Testing tests the following features of the software.  — How easy it is to use the software. — How easy it is to learn the software. — How convenient is the software to end user.

Components of Usability Testing Usability testing includes the following five components:  Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?  Efficiency: How fast can experienced users accomplish tasks?  Memorability: When users return to the design after a period of not using it, does the user remember enough to use it effectively the next time, or does the user have to start over again learning everything?  Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors and how easily can they recover from the errors?  Satisfaction: How much does the user like using the system?

Methods  Setting up a usability test involves carefully creating a scenario, or realistic situation, wherein the person performs a list of tasks using the product being tested while observers watch and take notes.  Methods of usability testing are as follows: o Hallway testing o Remote usability testing o Expert review o Automated expert review o A/B testing

Hallway testing Hallway testing is a quick, cheap method of usability testing in which randomly- selected people — e.g., those passing by in the hallway — are asked to try using the product or service. This can help designers identify "brick walls," problems so serious that users simply cannot advance, in the early stages of a new design.

Remote usability testing In a scenario where usability evaluators, developers and prospective users are located in different countries and time zones, conducting a traditional lab usability evaluation creates challenges both from the cost and logistical perspectives. These concerns led to research on remote usability evaluation, with the user and the evaluators separated over space and time. Remote testing, which facilitates evaluations being done in the context of the user’s other tasks and technology, can be either synchronous or asynchronous. The former involves real time one-on-one communication between the evaluator and the user, while the latter involves the evaluator and user working separately. Numerous tools are available to address the needs of both these approaches.

Expert review Expert review is another general method of usability testing. As the name suggests, this method relies on bringing in experts with experience in the field (possibly from companies that specialize in usability testing) to evaluate the usability of a product.

Automated expert review Similar to expert reviews, automated expert reviews provide usability testing but through the use of programs given rules for good design and heuristics. Though an automated review might not provide as much detail and insight as reviews from people, they can be finished more quickly and consistently. The idea of creating surrogate users for usability testing is an ambitious direction for the Artificial Intelligence community.

A/B testing In web development and marketing, A/B testing or split testing is an experimental approach to web design (especially user experience design), which aims to identify changes to web pages that increase or maximize an outcome of interest (e.g., click-through rate for a banner advertisement). As the name implies, two versions (A and B) are compared, which are identical except for one variation that might impact a user's behavior. Version A might be the one currently used, while version B is modified in some respect. For instance, on an e-commerce website the purchase funnel is typically a good candidate for A/B testing, as even marginal improvements in drop-off rates can represent a significant gain in sales. Significant improvements can be seen through testing elements like copy text, layouts, images and colors.

Conducting a Usability Test  When conducting user testing, the researcher reads a participant one task at a time, such as “Find out how to contact technical support,” and allows the participant to complete the task without any guidance. To prevent bias, the researcher follows the same “script” when explaining the task to each participant.  The researcher may also ask the participant to talk aloud as he works on a task to better understand the participant’s mental model for the task and his decision-making in real time. When the participant has completed a task, the researcher sets up the starting point for the next task and continues the test. Ideally, task order is counterbalanced from participant to participant.

Usability Test Analysis with Example  Usability testing recording software such as TechSmith’s Morae (PC only) or Silverback (Mac only) may be used to record the computer screen and the participant’s voice and facial expressions during testing. This software can also facilitate tracking of user behaviors, including mouse clicks, keystrokes, and active or open windows.  When all participants have completed the study, the researcher will compile the data to determine the severity of each usability issue that was encountered and provide prioritized recommendations for the development team to meet usability requirements. For example, by analyzing participants’ facial expressions, the number of mouse clicks made, and the navigation path used to complete a task, a user experience engineer can identify the most frustrating parts of a task and suggest ways to improve the interface to better support the user.  Usability testing should be conducted at various times throughout the iterative design process to ensure that all usability requirements have been met in the final product.

Benefits of Usability Testing For Developer: Usability testing lets the design and development teams identify problems before they are coded. The earlier issues are identified and fixed, the less expensive the fixes will be in terms of both staff time and possible impact to the schedule. During a usability test, you will:  Learn if participants are able to complete specified tasks successfully and  Identify how long it takes to complete specified tasks  Find out how satisfied participants are with your Web site or other product  Identify changes required to improve user performance and satisfaction  And analyze the performance to see if it meets your usability objectives

Benefits of Usability Testing For End-User: Benefits of usability testing to the end user or the customer: — Better quality software — Software is easier to use — Software is more readily accepted by users — Shortens the learning curve for new users

Conclusion Usability testing is the best way to understand how real users experience your website or application. The goal is to identify any usability problems, collect qualitative and quantitative data and determine the participant's satisfaction with the product. It’s important to keep in mind that usability testing is not just a milestone to be checked off on the project schedule. The team should have a goal for why they are testing and then implement the results.

References   its-benifits-to-end-user/ its-benifits-to-end-user/  testing/usability-test testing/usability-test   