7 Steps to Effective Usability Testing
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The document outlines seven essential steps for effective usability testing, emphasizing its importance in improving user experience, saving costs, and minimizing risks. It provides guidance on setting goals, planning, moderating tests, executing testing days, reporting findings, and the benefits of ongoing usability testing. The company, First Insights, specializes in various research methods and has experience working with clients across multiple industries.
7 Steps to Effective Usability Testing
- 1. NYC 212 926-3700 www.firstinsights.com Chicago 312 455- 0088 Seven Steps to Effective Usability Testing October 2018 ALL CONTENT © FIRST INSIGHTS LLC
- 2. NYC 212 926-3700 www.firstinsights.com Chicago 312 455- 0088 2 Make the Case for Usability Testing Your efforts will… •Save development time and avoid the headaches of major post-launch revisions. •Improve your acquisition and retention rates. •Uncover critical glitches that may cause site abandonment and loss of competitive edge. •Minimize the risk of launching a site that does not adequately address your targeted user needs. •Save money - the usability testing cost benefit ratio is considered to be $1 invested equals $10 - $100 in interface development savings. Spending 10% of your development budget on usability testing will work. Step 1
- 3. NYC 212 926-3700 www.firstinsights.com Chicago 312 455- 0088 3 Review Your Goals Usability testing is best for… •Gathering detailed qualitative feedback on the navigation, functionality, content and nomenclature of an interface. If you are looking to ask yes/no questions, segment your audience or learn A/B preferences a quantitative survey is needed. •Exploring your site or app’s value proposition and its overall ease of use. •Understanding the opinions of your target users. •Moving a project along whether you are in an agile or waterfall project development environment. Step 2
- 4. NYC 212 926-3700 www.firstinsights.com Chicago 312 455- 0088 4 Plan to Succeed • Choose a city for the testing that is logistically easy so that you and all stakeholders can attend. • Work with a professional research facility as they will be your partner for a successful project. • Develop a screener questionnaire that enables recruiters to select participants that accurately fit into your targeted audience segments. Interviewing friends / family is not ideal. • Select an objective and experienced moderator. • Set expectations for a realistic schedule as follows: − Week 1 - Facility selection, screener development & start recruitment − Week 2 – Site / interface reviews & moderators guide development − Week 3 – Complete the usability testing − Week 4 – Report development & delivery Step 3
- 5. NYC 212 926-3700 www.firstinsights.com Chicago 312 455- 0088 5 Develop a Solid Moderator’s Guide • Ideally a discussion guide should have the following: − Introduction about the interview and what the participant is being asked to do. − Pre-task questions about the industry and/or competitive set. − Task based questions tied into the key features and/or functionality of the site. This will let you know if the navigation, content and terminology is working. − Summary questions to wrap up ideas and get overall opinions on all that was explored. • Interview sessions should be 1 on 1 and between 45 - 75 minutes in length. • Let all stakeholders review the guide to offer ideas. • Conduct a trial run through with a colleague. Step 4
- 6. NYC 212 926-3700 www.firstinsights.com Chicago 312 455- 0088 6 Execute on Testing Day • Show up way before your first interview to check the computer set up, video equipment and room arrangements. • Set expectations properly – not every interview is going to be stellar and you may hear some negative or unique feedback. • Make adjustments with your moderator as minor changes to questions and the order in which they are asked can be productive. • Don’t panic – if you are testing a prototype don’t start playing around with it after each interview. Step 5
- 7. NYC 212 926-3700 www.firstinsights.com Chicago 312 455- 0088 7 Prepare a Solid Summary Report • Give your team and/or moderator about a week to develop a comprehensive and detailed report. • Explain the research methodology and project objectives in the report as some who read it may not have been able to attend in person. • Add lots of screen shots as most people are visual. • Provide the reader with findings and recommendations that enhance the decision making process. • If 8 of 10 people were able to complete a task don’t say 80% – stick to “8 of 10” as percentages make results sound statistically valid, which they are not. Step 6
- 8. NYC 212 926-3700 www.firstinsights.com Chicago 312 455- 0088 8 Don’t Stop With One Test • Conducting usability testing on a regular basis will benefit your overall marketing and interface development efforts. • Additional usability research will allow you to spot new trends and hear opinions directly from your customers and prospects. • Try to coordinate your usability testing results with quantitative research efforts and site analytics to paint a broad picture about the health of your interface. • After seeing usability testing for the first time, you should be able to get additional budget for follow up research as the key players will see its value. Step 7
- 9. NYC 212 926-3700 www.firstinsights.com Chicago 312 455- 0088 9 • Our specialties include: − Usability Testing − Contextual & Ethnographic Interviews − Heuristic Analysis − Focus Groups − Competitive Analysis − Quality Assurance • Based in NYC & Chicago with resources nationwide. • Team has diverse background in advertising, marketing, project management and interface design which provides a unique viewpoint. About First Insights
- 10. NYC 212 926-3700 www.firstinsights.com Chicago 312 455- 0088 10 • Experience working with Fortune 500 clients and startups in multiple industry verticals including: − Banking & Finance − Packaged Goods − Insurance − Media & Publishing − Pharmaceuticals − Travel − Automotive − Technology − Internet Pure Plays About First Insights
- 11. NYC 212 926-3700 www.firstinsights.com Chicago 312 455- 0088 11 • Lon Taylor – Principal Usability Consultant − NYC 212 926-3700 − Chicago 312 455-0088 − www.firstinsights.com Questions & Contact Info