Usability Testing: A Quick Guide for Junior UX Designers
Usability testing is the practice of evaluating how easy a design is to use with a group of representative users.
What is our goal for doing a Usability Test?
- We want to uncover and identify problems in the design of the product or service that the users might encounter.
- We want to reveal opportunities to improve.
- We want to learn about the product’s target users’ behavior and preferences.
Is there a best time to do a Usability Test?
The short answer is NO. You are allowed to test at any time.
Who should be involved in your Usability Testing?
- User
- Design
- Facilitator
How should you begin?
There are three main points that I would like to discuss when you decide to do your usability test:
- Preparation — create a scope of test with a set of specific tasks to enumerate and keep each round of testing focused. You might become overwhelmed by a ton of features that you would like to test, it’s important to understand which would be beneficial for improvements for both users and the business. If you want to solidify your assumptions or initial findings; working with users to test your theories is a sure way of knowing where the design still lacks or where it is succeeding.
- Always include your stakeholders in planning what to test, synthesized, and do these changes. It’s important to get your stakeholders’ input and make them aware of what you are trying to accomplish.
2. Recruiting — Matching your personas and safeguarding your target market from your participants is crucial. This can be achieved by framing indirect questions, tallying responses behind the scenes, and offering appropriate incentives. To cut it short, ensure that your research methodology aligns with your intended audience.
3. Set Tasks — Don’t just blindly make tasks, make sure that they are meeting your research goals and synthesize them to match your priorities.
4. Location — There is no limit in where you can test, it could be remote or at a specific site like the user’s location or a dedicated facility your team has (or moderated and unmoderated). Make sure your users are comfortable and keeps them focused.
5. Tools — This may differ if your Usability Test will commence in-person or remote.
- In-person — Remember to prepare your recording devices such as a camera, voice or screen recorder.
- Remote, Moderated — Screen & Audio capturing software, picture-in-picture capabilities
Example: Zoom, GoToMeeting, Skype, Quick Time,etc. - Remote, Unmoderated — Testing services, third-party applications
Example: UserTesting, A/B Tasty, Userlytics, UserZoom,etc.
6. Before running your test — As the observer, you are supposed to brief the test objective, series of tasks, and prototype use.
- You may also conduct a dry run before beginning and provide them the tools for note taking, etc.
Preparation for Participants
- Users — Ensure that they are comfortable and establish their expectations early on, such as you will be mainly observing and taking notes.
- You may also read a summary of scenarios when doing a user test.
Review your findings
- Start synthesizing your findings by tasks, categories, pages and themes.
- Make sure that your analysis is actionable, avoid focusing on unrealistic features.
- Arrange your findings by categorizing them in priorities.
If you want to know when is the best time to test, I can tell you right now that there will never a perfect time, user testing is a cycle and it must be a continuous flow.
If you’re wondering how many users you should test, stick with 5 users (but keep in mind of which type of user test you are doing, here’s a much more elaborate explanation.
Disclaimer: This is not a complete scenario and it was only created as a summary, I will be creating a comprehensive template in the next coming months.
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