This document summarizes key points about usability testing and quality assurance (QA) for website design: - It defines usability in terms of 5 components: learnability, efficiency, memorability, errors, and satisfaction. Usability testing involves having intended users perform tasks on a site while speaking aloud. - For usability testing, find representative users and create a list of tasks for them to perform without help. Observe their interactions to identify usability issues. - QA testing ensures all functionality and links work as intended across operating systems and browsers before public release. It involves checking for bugs, spelling errors, and that nothing unexpected occurs. - Resources for QA include browser archives, markup validation,

1. ARTDM 171, Week 17:
Usability Testing and QA
Gilbert Guerrero
gguerrero@dvc.edu
gilbertguerrero.com/blog/artdm-171/

2. Screenshot
Add a screenshot to the blog

3. Usability Testing

4. Definition
• Usability is defined by five quality components:
‣ Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish
basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?
‣ Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how
quickly can they perform tasks?
‣ Memorability: When users return after a period of not
using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency?
‣ Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe,
and how easily can they recover?
‣ Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design?
• From Usability 101: Introduction to Usability, Jakob Nielsen

5. Usability Testing
• Find users from the audience your site is
intended to serve
• Create a list of tasks for users to perform
on your site
• Observe them as they perform the tasks
• Ask them speak aloud about their
choices or when they don't understand
something

6. Keep These in Mind
• Do not help your test users or tell them
where to click.
• Remind them that you are not testing
them–the site is what's being tested.
There's no wrong way to perform the tasks.
• You can test your site with as little as five
people. As soon as you start seeing a
pattern, you've probably discovered an
issue that you can revise and test again.
First Rule of Usability? Donʼt Listen to Users by Jakob Nielsen

7. Usability Testing
Grab a partner

8. Quality Assurance Testing

9. Quality Assurance
• Before delivering a final site to your
audience, you'll want to make sure that it
all works
• Important: Test that it doesn't do
anything you didn't intend
• Sometimes called Bug Testing

10. QA Checklist
• Operating Systems (Mac, PC, Linux)
• Browsers (Firefox, IE6, IE7, Safari,
Chrome)
• Links
• Spelling
• Functionality (forms, menus)

11. QA Resources
• Evolt.org Browser Archive - http://
browsers.evolt.org/
• W3C Markup Validation Service - http://
validator.w3.org/

12. Resource
Web Redesign 2.0: Workflow That Works
by Kelly Goto and Emily Cotler

13. Homework
• Post a screenshot of your website on
the blog and a sentence about it
• Conduct usability testing on your final
project with 5 users
• Make revisions

14. Thank You