Quick Usability Testing Methods and Service Provider in Singapore
Usability testing is one of the best ways to improve your product and this is an internally agreed consensus. The testing methods described in this article are simple, informal, small sample, with the purpose of identifying serious problems.
Before starting, I want to stress that testing should start early and be done with simple equipment.
What is usability testing?
In fact, usability testing is not complicated, a simple summary is to observe the user to use the product. If slightly expanded, Usability Testing Definition is the typical availability of the product by looking at the typical user, completing the typical tasks for the product, and defining the availability issues and solving them. The purpose of it, it is to make the product easier to use.
How to design and conduct usability testing
Based on the above definition, we will mainly answer the following questions on how to design and conduct usability testing:
- How to design a task
- How to find users
- How to test
- How to analyze and find the availability problem
- How to Design Test Tasks
Designing test tasks is at the heart of the upfront test for usability testing. We suggest that it be better to determine the criteria for user recruitment after the task is designed because the tasks involved in the test are directly related to the user experience you are describing. The former has been identified, and the latter has become clearer.
In the design task, you need to ask yourself repeatedly:
“Is the test task I designed really reflects the user’s actual goals (and not what I think the user wants to do)?”
After asking more than three questions above, and confirming that you can respond positively to yourself, you are ready to begin your design task.
The usual method is:
- a) List a list of tasks, using simple phrases to describe the tasks involved in the testing – mainly for insiders. Because it is a quick test, so the task should not be too much, it must be important, the core, you think there may be a problem task;
- b) After the task list is filtered out, the task is turned into a scene – the scene is what you want to read to the user or to the user. So you have to include the user’s goals and motivations – because your function is not important to the user, and what matters is their purpose and the process by which they accomplish their goals. At this time, you can ask yourself the above questions.
- c) Determine the conditions required for operational tasks: For example, is not required a new account, is not required to prepare the necessary documents, etc.;
- d) Pre-test: Pre-test is mainly to find the task of design issues, you can find colleagues within the company, the use of lunch break quickly completed.
How to find the user
In the use of resources to find users, we must first clear, what kind of user we are looking for?
What kind of people to come to?
In the past, during the test planning phase, we communicated with the product and our colleagues in the design, and their description of the user was often 25-30 years old, working people and the like. However, in fact, what we are most concerned with in our tests is the user’s behaviour. Therefore, the most important factor in determining the criteria for screening users is product user experience and usages, not demographics.
Looking for how many people?
When it comes to finding a few people to test, you have to call Nielsen’s article answers Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users. Although academia for five users whether there is enough debate. However, from our practical point of view, as long as the right people are identified in the first stage and the right person is found, five users have really been able to spot significant usability issues, of course, again, of course, to emphasize that rapid The purpose of testing is to identify serious problems, not all problems.
In addition, we found that during the usual tests, the product and designer after the one-sided mirror often focused on the first three user tests, but the new information was less and less after five, We are not in a daze, just simply sleep (like the rabbit in the same picture). Therefore, from the perspective of working condition, less than 5 test users, to ensure that everyone focused, and are willing to observe and listen.
How to find users?
Having identified the criteria and number of users to screen, finding a user is a headache. Here, my suggestion is that since it is a quick test, try all means, whether it is to find colleagues (colleagues do not find the same department), friends, friends, friends, forums, forum ads, etc., as long as fast , And when recruiting, insists on asking, everyone can “unscrupulously”. Of course, if at this time to have a user list is usually maintained in the best.
How to test
Because it is a quick test, the host becomes a product and designer himself from the researcher. Therefore, it is important to stress here that you should not try to teach users how to use the product or try to market your product to users.
What does the moderator do?
5 minutes before the testing.
1.Welcome
Self-introduction, explain the test aim and timeline, stress the test object is the system rather than the user. Ask the user to use sound thinking, notify user they will be recorded, but the results are confidential. Ask the user to sign the confidentiality agreement.
2.Ask
Ask the job, internet habits, product usage, usual product preference.
3.Look through
Ask the user to scan without operating.
In the testing, 30~50 minutes
Read the task, observe carefully, and listen to user’s suggestions. Identify user’s emotions and encourage user when encountering the problem. Try to ask user why they do that, but as simply as possible.
After testing, 1h
Give acknowledgements to participants, and suitable pay, and save the recording files.
What does recorder do?
Whether conditional real-time observation (with specialized labs or tools), or need to look back at the video to observe, the record should pay attention to, the record is not the focus of what the user said, but how the user. Remember, in the test, what is done is more important than what is said. Of course, since the tests are conducted to identify serious problems and the serious ones are always obvious, you can record the problems at the same time, but do not rush to discuss the solution to the problem. Because immediately think of the program or the program proposed by the user is not necessarily the best, this work can be left to be quiet or everyone can take part in the discussion.
How to analyze and find the availability problem
After completing the test, hosts and observers are required to quickly sort out useful information while they are still fresh, either by using sticky notes, by leaving a whiteboard or creating a document. In short the user-related operations, the issues raised, and our own problems quickly are written out. However, do not quickly conclude.
After all the tests have been completed, organize the existing sticky notes, lists, etc., and then identify the most serious problems and fix them quickly. In this session, the emphasis is on making it clear again and again that those problems are the most important and can be fixed immediately. That way, the result of the test is executable, not just a list of archived questions.
USER–Usability Testing Service Provider
USER is a good Usability Testing Service Provider. It focuses on UX Research & Evaluation. The UX research will help the client better understand their potential and current users, then expose design issues and propose user experience solution. The research and evaluation methods can be User Interviews, Surveys, Contextual Inquiry, Usability Testing, Focus Group, and A/B and Multivariate Testing. Interest? Contact USERfor Usability Testing Services.
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