Define usability testing

1
Define usability testing

• Usability is all about how easy a product,
  service or system is to use.
• The extent to which a product can be used by
  specified users to achieve specified goals with
  effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a
  specified context of use (ISO 9241-11 )

2
Approaches to measure usability

• Effectiveness
• the accuracy and completeness with which users
  can achieve their goals
• Efficiency
• user's ability to quickly accomplish tasks with
  ease and without frustration
• Satisfaction
• how much a user enjoys using the product

3
Approaches to measure usability

• Type of Data
• Performance data
• Successful completion rates, Number of click
  while performing a task, etc..
• Preference data
• User comments from questionnaire or interview
• Satisfaction rates
• Method
• User testing
• Surveys/questionnaires

4
Test Environment

• Usability testing can be conducted extend from
  business or office applications through to
  environment specific systems.
• Test environment facilities vary greatly in
  capabilities, flexibility, and cost.
• For business or office applications
• Fixed labs
• Adjacent rooms, video monitors, video recorders,
  computer equipment, etc
• Portable labs
• Similar capabilities
• Can be readily shipped and set up quickly

5
Test Environment

• For environment specific systems
• Flight simulator
• A typical example, pilot would be recreating
  with flight simulator and testing a new cockpit
  interface to see if it matches their mental
  models.
• Osmose
• a Head-Mounted Display (HMD)-based, stationary,
  virtual reality system.

6
Scripted or Unscripted Testing

• Scripted
• Scripted tests are written to persist for the
  life of the product, and may be automated with
  test execution tools to run frequently and in
  bulk throughout the life of the product.
• Unscripted
• Unscripted usability testing is a more informal
  testing comparing to the formal scripted one but
  with higher flexibility.

7
Scripted vs Unscripted

• Scripted
• Persistent
• reviewed in advance
• Repeatable
• Test automation
• Unscripted
• Less preparation
• intellectually stimulating
• deductive reasoning based on the results

8
Test labs

• UserWorks Inc.
• offers several portable usability labs for sale
  or rent
• observational data logging software product
• Usability Labs by Lodestone Research LLC
• state of the art audio visual recording and
  testing equip.
• designed to be portable
• Purposefully built test room observation room

9
User Audience

• Select participants represent true users
• Locating the right people persuading them to
  commit time
• Key characteristics to be considered
• New vs. Returning Users
• Gender, Age, Education, Etc
• Web Savvy
• Captive Audience

10
How to engage

• Three stages of recruitment
• Before the sessions begin
• Developing a target user profile
• Using rigor in defining screening criteria
• During actual recruiting
• Recruiting backups to handle no-shows
• Recognizing possible technology spies or
  competitors
• After the sessions begin
• Dealing with unsuitable participants
• Understanding why a good participant might not
  be, and why a difficult one is valuable

11
System Compatibility

• Whether hardware, software, websites and
  applications work as expected with the range of
  systems and components available to end users
• Factors can be considered in web design as
• Web browsers
• Various operation systems
• Screen resolutions in web browsing
• Technique used in website