Usability testing is a research method used to evaluate how easily real users can navigate and interact with a product, such as a website or app. By observing users completing specific tasks, designers identify pain points, improve user experience, and ensure the product is intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly.
Usability Testing
October 10, 2022
Usability Testing
Why Do We Conduct Usability Testing?
Usability testing is an evaluative method that allows teams to observe an individual’s experience with a digital application or a physical product as they walk through the steps of a given task. Examples might be a new game, website, new packaging format, new piece of technology or software, etc.
How Does Usability Testing Work?
The sessions are conducted as a one-on-one with a UX researcher or moderator, observing how a person uses a website, product or service. It can also incorporate eye-tracking, face emotion analysis, implicit reaction testing and visual attention analysis. The method is designed to understand how people behave and to help identify the parts of an interface that most regularly frustrate and confuse people so that they can be prioritised, fixed and re-tested before launch.
Tests are designed around tasks and scenarios that represent typical end-user goals. It is common practice that everyone on the interdisciplinary team works together to identify usability testing tasks and scenarios. For example, purchase an item, open the packaging, turn on the device, etc. Tasks should be specific, tangible and reflect actual goals of the target audience.
Usability Testing Vs Focus Groups
A lot of people get confused about usability testing and focus groups, and what the difference is. There is actually a significant difference between the two methods as usability looks at how individuals behave, observe and determines who will use a product or service, providing insight and then qualitative research in the form of Focus Groups will explore what people say and help understand why people use a product or service, who will consider it and at any stage of development.
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