The document outlines usability testing fundamentals, emphasizing the importance of focusing on user experience rather than just product functionality. It explains usability, methods of usability testing, and details how to conduct tests with real users to identify problems and improve design. Iterative testing with small groups is recommended to uncover major issues and enhance overall user satisfaction.

1. Usability Testing
101-ish
#uxforreal
19-04-2017

2. Jan Moons
Co-founder UXprobe
Co-host UX Antwerp
Certified Usability Designer
jan@uxpro.be
@moonsjan
be.linkedin.com/janmoons
+32 485 69 78 35

3. 1. What is usability?

4. Problem of unusable products
Product team focuses on machine and underlying system.
Not on the person who will actually use the system!

5. Different models
User / Mental Model
Representation a user has in his
mind about the object he is
interacting with
Design / Conceptual Model
Actual model that is given to the
user through the design and
interface of the product
System Model
How the system actually works

6. Good Design Model
• Resembles User Model as
close as possible
• The more it resembles the
more user friendly the
product

7. ISO 9241-11
The extent to which a
product can be used by
specified users to achieve
specified goals with
effectiveness, efficiency and
satisfaction in specified
context-of-use
Bailey’s Human Performance Model

8. ISO 9241-11 – Measuring usability
Effectiveness
• Can users achieve their goals with the
product?
• Can they do what the product says it
should be able to do?
Efficiency
How much effort is required from the
users in order to achieve their goals?
Satisfaction
It is no good if users can achieve their
goals quickly if they hate the system, they
will probably go somewhere else

9. 2. What is usability testing?

10. Usability testing
• Involves real users
• Test participants perform real
tasks to achieve their goals
• Observe behavior: what test
participants do and “say”
• Observations are logged to
analyze and identify real
problems

11. Iterative process
More rounds of small scale
tests
1st round: most significant
problems
1. Fix these problems…
2. 2nd round: new problems
uncovered
3. Fix these problems…
4. Etc.

12. Small sample sizes
~5 participants in a usability test
• Find about 80% of problems
• 80% contains most important
issues
By the end of the design you
might have tested with 20 – 30
participants if not more (with the
assumption of 1 segment)!

13. 3. Conducting a usability test

16. Welcome participant
Hey XXX, I am Jan and I have been asked by the team from Clear, a to-
do app, to check how easy it is to use their app.
I will give you some tasks which you should try to complete.
In the meanwhile talk out loud and explain whatever you want to do,
what you are looking for, how you feel, etc.
Any Questions so far?

17. Audience observes!
Take notes:
• Behaviors: the first thing he does, unexpected behavior, etc.
• Positive and negative comments
• Errors / problems / issues
• Completion (success or failure) on each task

18. Task 1
You are going for a swim tomorrow.
To make sure you will not forget to pack the necessary “swimming gear”,
you just downloaded the Clear app on your phone.
You are going to make a new to-do list called: “Going for a swim” and add
your “swimming gear” to it.
Can you show us how you normally would do that?
Tell me when you think you completed the task!

19. Task 1 Satisfaction
Overall, how difficult or easy was the task to complete?

20. Task 2
You are ready to pack your Swimming gear
You open up the Clear app again and start checking off the items you
add to your rug sack.
When you are done checking off your swimming gear, remove the to-
do list all at once!
Tell me when you think you completed the task!

21. Task 2 Satisfaction
Overall, how difficult or easy was the task to complete?

22. End-of-session questions
Would you recommend the Clear app to a friend?
What did you like best about the Clear app?
Anything you want to improve?

23. Thank participant

24. 4. Analyzing & reporting

25. What did we observe?
• Behaviors
• Positive and negative comments
• Errors / problems / issues
• Completion (success or failure) on each task

28. Zoek het energietarief voor gas en elektriciteit dat het beste bij jouw huidige situatie past
S c e n a r i o 1
Task completion: 78%
Time-on-Task: 6m35s
Quotes Abandon
• “Als dit niet werkt dan zoek ik wel op de website van de
VREG zo ben ik ook bij mijn huidige leverancier terecht
gekomen”
• “Dat is vervelend! Als dit hun website is dan stop ik!”
Satisfaction
Hoe moeilijk of gemakkelijk was het om deze taak uit te
voeren?

31. make users happy
deliver great UX
Jan Moons
jan@uxpro.be
+32 485 69 78 35