Usability Testing

Source: justincaseyouwerewondering.com

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, usability testing is the “[evaluation of] a product or service by testing it with representative users” (n.d.). While usability testing is largely used in the tech industry to test new hardware and software, it can be used to benchmark virtually any man made product. The goal of usability testing is to “identify any usability problems, collect qualitative and quantitative data and determine the participant's satisfaction with the product” (n.d.). Usability testing seeks to determine if a user can successfully figure out how to properly use a product so that it meets its intended purpose. These tests are run in such a way that a user is asked to use a product and figure out how to do so with only the instructions that come with the product. As the user attempts to use the product, a team of observers will often record both audio and video as well as take notes. Usability testing is not beta testing; it is not meant to be a means for weeding out bugs. It is, however, a way of qualitatively measuring how usable a product is by comparing a test user’s actual results of using the product to the expected results. Usability testing is an absolutely essential part of the development process and should be viewed as equally important as beta testing.

References

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Usability Testing. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2014, from http://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/usability-testing.html

[Usability Testing]. Retrieved April 18, 2014 from
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