Usability Testing
User testing always works, and even if you are conducting a usability test with the wrong user, still there are all the chances that you will get good feedback and improvement suggestions.
User experience focuses on having a deep understanding of user. User Experience best practices promote improving the quality of the user's interaction with perception of your product and related services.
Don’t make it a big deal. Most people assume that testing is time consuming, costly, and it needs to be a big deal. Sometimes you hear “It is too early to test our product.” Crap. It is never too early to share your product with the user, even if it is an initial idea. If you make it a big deal, you won’t do it early enough. Including feedback from end user at an early stage also make sure that you are on the right track. Remember, keep it simple so you’ll keep doing it.
How often should we test? It depends on the project timeline. If it is a short-term project that you have to finish in two months, keep it weekly and test it bi-weekly if it is long term project.
Doing it on fixed days dramatically increases the chances that team member will make time to come and watch at least some of the session.
If you’re working on improving the existing product, you’ll also want to test it before you start on the improvement process, so you’ll know what’s working and what’s not working.
Then throughout the project, continue to test everything the team produces, beginning with your first rough sketches and continuing with wireframes, page compositions, prototypes, and finally actual product.
Enlist the tasks you want to test? Usability testing mostly depends on the fact that what you have new available untested to test or improved version of the prototype you previously tested. For instance, if you are testing checkout process, that tasks might be: Review Cart, Edit Items in Cart, Delete Items from Cart, Review Payment Options, Review Address Book, Review Delivery Information, Checkout, and Confirmation.
Who should facilitate the session? The person who sits with the participant and leads them through the test is called the facilitator. One who tends to be patient, calm, empathetic, good listener, and easy to befriend should facilitate the session.
Who should observe the session? You can include as many observers as you want, there is no harm. It’s a transformative experience that dramatically changes the way your managers think: They should get the idea that users aren’t all like them.
During Test. Welcome your can candidate. Remember they are very important; they are participating for your benefit, and the success of your product depends on their feedback and actions. Ask a couple of questions about them and get to know them, who they are, are they familiar with computer and internet, or what they do to earn a living.
Inform the user to treat your product as roughly and make as many mistakes as they want. We are testing our product, not the users. Do not embarrass them.
Give them a brief introduction about your product (don’t give them too much information, let them find what you are selling on your website or what your product is all about). Tell them politely that you would not be able to answer their queries during the session but will answer once we’re done.
After the test, you can ask the participant questions about their experience and ask the observer if they have any questions for the user. Finally, thank the user and pay what was promised, and show them to the door.
Take five minutes break before calling the next user and discuss the brief results with the observers.
Ref. Don't Make Me Think - Steve Krug
