The primary role of Usability testing
While dealing with product design, you cannot deny that usability testing is the most celebrated way through which you improve the quality of your product. But there is a fact which you cannot deny anymore- There is a dearth of user researchers. Finding the right user researchers for all the types of usability testing is a must.
Usability testing methods- The lucrative way it works
When we go on enabling all the colleagues in every department to handle testing and research, you get an opportunity to make some simple tutorials and documents with the aid of different usability testing methods. Designers always have the ability to take usability testing into account first. Any designer has the ability to take usability testing services seriously. They should understand its importance in the first place. It would always be better if you conduct the usability testing services earlier. Usability testing could take place with a few simple facilities as well. There are various types of usability testing.
- How do you find the right users?
- How do you design any testing task?
- How do you conduct user testing?
- How to find usability related issues with the data collected?
Before we get started, we would like to inform you that the earlier you make the usability testing, the better. And you could make the testing with only some simple facilities. Usability testing is not a complicated process. It is the method by which you observe people who use your product. You can also note that solving any users problems by the way you represent your users while they complete typical tasks related to your product.
The general design of all the testing tasks
The core of any testing task is to focus on the preliminary work involved in usability testing. The recruiting standard meant for the users should be made once you finish designing your usability testing process which is directly related to your users’ operational experience. When you don’t make a plan to test, you should look back into the questions such as “Does my plan go along with the real user goals?” Ensure that you involve a to-do list to describe all your tasks.
It should be in a more short and crisp sentence rather than in lengthy paragraphs. The tasks should not be in excess. It should be simple and to-the-point. After you choose your important tasks, you should take your users’ primary goals in mind. You should have the users’ focusing on what message they really want to get. Determine what you require. It could be the new accounts or the document.
Pre-testing: This is the way by which you find out a few problems the company faces. You would be able to ask all the colleagues to complete everything quickly during their lunchtime.
How do you find users for usability testing?
Before you go about leveraging the number of resources, you should leave the choice to your users. Usually, when you consider colleagues in your product or design team to discuss which kind of people you need to choose for usability testing, we should be concerned about the behavior of the product.
How many users do you need to conduct usability testing?
When it comes to how many users do we need in the testing, you have to look at this classic chart of Nielsen, though it is debated whether five users are enough or not in this field. However, in practice, as long as you can find the appropriate person in the first stage, five users are enough to find some significant usability problems. Of course, here I would like to emphasize again that the purpose of quick testing is to find serious problems rather than all problems. During the first three hours involving the usability testing, you need to make the records smoother. Sometimes, your users might get bored or tired.
The more users you bring in your team, the more chances of them getting bored or unproductive. To avoid such tougher situations, you need to allow only a limited number of people in the usability testing team. The ideal number would be 5. Above or below that could be considered as an excess. You might not get the right results that you have been looking for so long. Everything might become crucial and tougher for those who are working on usability testing. Hence you need to choose only how many members you need, to avoid duplication of data while you are receiving feedback on your product.
How do you find the “right” users?
After you identify the necessary criteria as well as the number of users, you need to think about how to find the right users. Even when it is a quick testing, you need to look into each and every corner, be it colleagues, friends or relatives. As soon as you finish the testing faster and follow the testing requirements, you can make use of any means you prefer. The best ui/ux design company can help you out in understanding the needs of the customers and testing criteria.
How do you conduct usability testing?
Eventhough it is a quick testing method, the host’s role would shift on from user researcher to your production staff. As it is a quick testing, the role of the host would change from user researcher to the designer or product staff. Therefore, I have to emphasize that when you are doing the testing, do not try to teach users how to use the product as well as promote your product to the user. You can either test your product or its prototype. While testing the product usability, you need to simulate any similar scenario.
If it is a mobile app, you should test it on your mobile device. Hence you need to ensure that the prototype tool has the same capability while you share it across various devices. A few of the fast prototyping tools such as Mockplus have enabled users to view their project on phone or iPad. Even when it is a real-time scenario or not, you need to observe through your videos and understand that the key record points are not what your user said. You should remember that what they did in testing is extremely important compared to what they said. When there is an issue, you can discuss it with your colleagues directly.
Utilizing the strength of data analysis to reveal usability problems
It is crucial to know why usability testing is important and to use a methodical strategy in order to find usability issues through data analysis. After the testing phase is over, moderators and observers must carefully examine the data gathered. It is imperative to refrain from making snap judgements without carefully considering the situation. The material can be rigorously sorted and organized to reveal patterns and trends. It is possible to gain a thorough understanding of user behavior and potential pain areas by using a variety of analytical tools, such as qualitative coding and quantitative analysis. Organizations are able to make well-informed decisions and enhance the user experience for optimum effectiveness with this data-driven strategy.
Checklist or factors related to Usability testing:
You can perform usability testing with factors such as readability, accessibility, content and navigation. To check the readability and accessibility of your website, you need to check if the website load time is being realistic. You should also check if the font size, as well as the spacing, is being read. You should also check if the site has been responsive. You should also check factors such as font style, colours, website navigation, broken links, content and much more.
What are the top usability testing tools?
There are many tools that has alleviated the interest of the users in recent days. Some of them are here:
Usabilla:
It is essential that you listen to the Voice of Customer (VoC) to make better decisions. Want to get customized feedback for your design? Use this tool!
Juicy Studio:
Do you wish to test the colour contrast? Juicy Studio is the right tool to understand the contrast ratio between various tools.
Browsershots:
Gotta check your browser compatibility? This tool has got your back. You can check the compatibility for browsers like Chrome, Internet Explorer and Mozilla.
Check My Colours:
This tool is the best alternative for Juicy Studio. It is more accurate and powerful in comparison to other tools.
Dead Link Checker:
Do you want to check the broken link? With the dead link checker, you can accomplish it within a few steps.
Crazy egg:
Need an all-in-one usability testing tool? This click-based user experience would let you access the heatmap, visitor sources, overlay and scrollmap.
Optimizely:
Need a better tool to carry out A/B Testing? Optimizely would be the best ever choice.
TryMyUI:
This is the best ever competitively priced tool in the market. You can test your website with anonymous reviews or using a pool of candidates.
UserFeel:
With this tool, there are 3 simple steps you need to follow. Update your profile URL, set what questions you want to hear and wait for the response.
Qualaroo:
Do you wish to get answers for targetted surveys and questions in real-time? This tool can help you out.
These are the tools that you can leverage to get the maximum output. You should remember that usability testing occupies a primary part in any product, no matter what. Only the best usability testing companies can take care of the needs of the users. Before you choose any tool for usability testing, you need to ensure that you are choosing the right one which suits your needs. It should be a perfect fit for your team. Your primary goal should be to leverage the usability testing tools to the maximum and get the maximum results. This would go on well with your daily activities, ensuring that your product is liked by your team members.
Enhance User Experience with Usability Testing from Pattem Digital
Pattem Digital is a pioneer in the field of user experience research and shines out when it comes to usability testing. We provide thorough usability testing services that include all elements, from documentation to continuous maintenance, thanks to our years of experience and competence. Our committed crew is prepared to handle your usability testing needs with accuracy and care. You can count on specialized solutions from us to improve the user experience of your digital products. Let’s talk about how we can improve your user experience and take it to new levels.