Usability Testing
Advanced
Usability Testing is a research method where real users are asked to complete tasks using a product, prototype, or interface while observers watch and take notes. The goal is to identify usability issues, pain points, and areas of confusion so designers can improve the product’s functionality, clarity, and overall user experience.
How I use it
Usability Testing is a critical moment in the UX Design process. The testing of all the designer and the team’s hard work, the exposing of your project for constructive criticism. I have pushed myself to enjoy Usability Testing, the way someone pushes themselves outside of their comfort zone to improve themselves.
Creating the tests is relatively simple if you have used the Jobs to be Done theory, you know exactly what jobs you are testing the prototype to complete. But getting feedback can be tough, its natural to want to defend your design, but it is the feedback that grows and prefects your design.
Feedback from usability testing is critical to getting the design right. I love to get at least 5 usability tests for every single thing I design, publishing a design with out usability testing feels like a huge risk and I would strongly advise against.
Analyzing and acting upon the feedback is more important than getting the feedback. I create a Rainbow Sheet sort and organize the feedback. Then I use the Nielsen Rating Scale to rate it by severity. These tools help me to properly receive and act on the feedback gaining as much as possible from it to create a better final product.
Usability Testing can be and should be done at many stages of the design. I like to fit in as much Usability Testing as the project timeline will allow.
I am recently exploring options for conducting remote unmoderated Usability Testing and would like to make use of this on upcoming projects to maximize the testing I can do on the design.
