4. Deciding Which Methodology To Use
Depends on Several Factors Including:
- What Information you are trying to obtain
- How far along in the life cycle of the project
- Budget (Time as well as Monetary)
5. What Is Usability Testing?
Usability testing usually involves systematic observation
under controlled conditions to determine how well people
can use a product.
6. What Is Usability Testing?
Usability testing usually involves systematic observation
under controlled conditions to determine how well people
can use a product.
7. What Is Usability Testing in IxD?
In interaction design, usability tests are used to measure the
interactive user experience associated with a user interface,
such a website, software application, or mobile application.
8. What Is Usability Testing in IxD?
In interaction design, usability tests are used to measure the
interactive user experience associated with a user interface,
such a website, software application, or mobile application.
9. What Is Usability Testing in IxD?
In interaction design, usability tests are used to measure the
interactive user experience associated with a user interface,
such a website, software application, or mobile application.
“A person’s perceptions and responses(emotional, mental,
physical, etc.) that result from the use or anticipated use of a
product, system or service...”
Factors that influence user experience:
1. System
2. User
3. Context of use
10. Conducting A Usability Test
1. Recruiting Participants
2. Creating Task List
3. Conducting a Usability Test
4. Usability Test Analysis
11. Conducting A Usability Test
1. Recruiting Participants
2. Creating Task List
3. Conducting a Usability Test
4. Usability Test Analysis
When conducting a usability test, it is optimal to recruit the
primary or secondary users of the product. Testing users
who are not the primary or secondary users will still yield
problems with the product. Testing someone is better than
testing no one.
12. Conducting A Usability Test
1. Recruiting Participants
2. Creating Task List
3. Conducting a Usability Test
4. Usability Test Analysis
In the early 90s, Jakob Nielson popularized the concept of
using numerous small usability tests, typically with only five
test subjects each.
# Issues found
5 10
13. Conducting A Usability Test
1. Recruiting Participants
2. Creating Task List
3. Conducting a Usability Test
4. Usability Test Analysis
Typically, participants will perform a set of 5 to 10 tasks.
Tasks should represent the most common user goals and
have clearly defined criteria for success.
14. Conducting A Usability Test
1. Recruiting Participants
2. Creating Task List
3. Conducting a Usability Test
4. Usability Test Analysis
When conducting user testing, the researcher reads a
participant one task at a time, and allows the participant to
complete the task without any guidance. To prevent bias, the
researcher follows the same “script” when explaining the task
to each participant.
The researcher may also ask the participant to talk aloud as
he works on a task to better understand the participant’s
mental model for the task
15. Conducting A Usability Test
1. Recruiting Participants
2. Creating Task List
3. Conducting a Usability Test
4. Usability Test Analysis
When all participants have completed the usability test, the
designer will compile the data to determine the severity of
each issue that was encountered and provide prioritized
recommendations/solutions.
16. Further Readings
Don Norman
The Design of Everyday Things
Jakob Nielsen
Usability Engineering
Designing Web Usability
Steve Krug
Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach
to Web Usability
Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide
to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems
