Usability Testing

Usability

It’s all about the best user experience

A usable website helps users to perform tasks efficiently

A website is designed to make or save you money

A non-usable website costs you money

Usability increases business value

Usability Testing

The only way to know if a website is truly successful

Real testing with real users

Discovers problems fast

Saves real money

Not Usability Testing

Market/user research (opinions)

User acceptance testing

Personas

Expert review and heuristic evaluations

Metrics

Performance

Accuracy

Recall

Emotional Response

Wrong way to testExpensive sophisticated test labs

Videos

Eye tracking

Rigid tasks

Over-engineering/over-planning

Lots of users

Right way to testAt user’s desks

Take notes and ask questions

Be flexible with tasks

Simple planning

Small number of users

Test often

Performing a Test

Testing the site, not the users

Observe, not direct

Get users talking

Give them time and space

Let them struggle

The Secret

Keep it simple

Follow through

Iterate quickly

Really Ugly Sites

http://www.usability.gov/refine/learnusa.html

http://www.useit.com/

Really Nice Sites

http://boagworld.com/usability/

http://fivesecondtest.com/