Impact of Usability Testing on User Experience
Introduction 
 
Usability or user experience (UX) testing is the process of measuring how easy an application flow or design is to use with a group of testers.  
 
It usually involves observing users as they attempt to complete tasks and can be done for different types of designs. It is often conducted repeatedly, from early development until a product’s release. A small set of target end-users use an application to expose usability defects.

Usability testing

5 things should be followed while working on the usability testing 

  • Effective:   How effectively or accurately are the goals achieved
  • Efficient:    How quickly are the goals met
  • Engaging:   Is the user interface pleasant and satisfying to use
  • Error Tolerant: How well the product prevents errors and can help users recover from their mistakes
  • Easy to Learn: How well the product supports initial orientation and continued learning

Why Is Usability Testing Important?

usability testing meaning

One of the critical reasons why testing the application’s usability is essential is that there are many similar applications to choose from. Users nowadays simply move to other applications if they cannot figure out how to use or navigate them quickly.

Usability testing aims at gathering as much feedback as possible on how real users interact with the application as early as possible and as often as possible. This enables product businesses to identify design issues before the application reaches the final build. If usability testing is left until the final build, further changes take more time.

usability testing UX

Usability testing is a critical process in developing and delivering user-friendly products. Unlike most forms of software testing, real users are involved in performing usability testing along with professional testers. Only through various usability testing methods can the product stakeholders know unbiased opinions regarding the application’s likes, dislikes, struggles, and uniqueness. 

Steps to Perform Usability Testing

Usability testing steps

Planning

The goals of usability test are determined in this stage. Having volunteers sit in front of the application and record their actions is not a goal. QA engineers need to determine the critical functionalities and objectives of the system.

Recruiting

During this phase, the desired number of testers is deployed as per the usability test plan. Testers should be chosen who match the desired demographics (age, sex, etc.) and professional (education, job, etc.) profiles as per specifications

Usability Testing

Real users, as well as UX experts, navigate through different application functionalities to test the application’s interface and measure user satisfaction. Moderators may use a variety of methods, such as blink tests or expectancy tests, to get instant feedback from the testers 

Data Analysis

Data collected from usability tests is thoroughly analyzed to leverage meaningful inferences and provide actionable recommendations that may improve the application’s overall usability or user experience.

Reporting

The usability testing report declares how the testing was performed and lists the recommendations for enhancements. The report features user ratings on a Likert scale, notes from the feedback sessions, audio & screen recordings, etc.

Usability Testing Tools

 

  1. CrazyEgg
  2. Userzoom
  3. Loop11
  4. Usabilla
  5. TryMyUI
  6. Usability Hub
  7. UX Tweak

 

Conclusion

Usability testing is required by all business applications as it gives first-hand information about whether the product meets the user’s expectations. It is very helpful for getting user reactions and feedback about the product.

Usability testing mainly focuses on ease of usage, the flexibility of application to handle controls, and the ability to meet its objectives.

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