Usability Testing

Purpose

To ensure thorough and standardized usability tests can be followed by any member of the team (or any other user), allowing Countable to better test its products.

Scope

We’ve currently provided a simple guide which is easy to follow.

We’ll know we’ve succeeded when anyone can conduct these tests and give feedback which can be used by the product dev(s) to advance the prototype.

Disclaimer for Clients

You may be testing a fully developed product, an early stage prototype, or something in between.

We’d also like you to know that we are testing the prototype, and not you - any issues you have using it are shortcomings of the prototype that we need to know about.

How To Test a Product’s Usability

The following are questions to ask while Usability Testing:

• Is the product you’re evaluating efficient enough?
  • Are the users able to carry out their task while expending reasonable resources such as time, cognitive or physical demand?
• Is it effective enough?
  • Can the user complete the tasks they are supposed to perform with the tool?
  • Is their performance complete and accurate?
• Is it sufficiently satisfactory for the users?
  • What is the users’ attitude towards the system?
  • Do they experience discomfort or confusion?

Usability Testing Process Steps

Follow and document these steps:

1. Blink Test: Look at the site (home page, or whichever page you are evaluating) for five seconds, then look away.
   • What do you remember most about the site?
   • What stood out to you?
   • What do you think this site is for?
   • If it’s featuring a product, what does that product do?
2. Reflect:
   • What was your first impression of the site?
   • What do you like about how it looks?
   • Can you see any issues with the site/home page?
   • Can you see any other areas of improvement?
3. Expectancy:
   • What do you expect to be able to do on the site?
   • What parts do you expect to be able to click (ie: buttons, links)? Do they work?
4. Context and Tasks:
   • Who is the main user of this site? (If you aren’t sure, consult with us. We will let you know who you should “pretend” to be as you use the site!)
   • What is a scenario you would be using this product in? (If you aren’t sure, consult with us.)
   • What are the primary tasks you should be able to complete with this site/product?
   • Are you able to complete them? Please document any issues you have completing these primary tasks.
5. Bugs: Your experience may be interrupted by something on the site being clearly broken of dysfunctional. These are bugs and are priority fixes!
   • Please notify us right away if you run into these, by doing the following (if you’ve been granted access to Trello): - Briefly describe the current behaviour and how it differs from the desired behaviour. - Include the exact URL where the issue can be observed. - List any further steps (specific clicks, etc) to observe the issue. - For aesthetic problems, take a screenshot and circle the problem in red. - For text problems, quote the problematic text. - Add to the appropriate Trello list/board and use a red “bug” label to mark it. - Assign the bug to someone who can either fix or triage it. - (Refer to Bug Reporting in our Developers page
6. Finishing up and debrief:
   • Overall, how would you rate your experience using the product/site?
   • How do you feel now?
   • Were there any moments where you were delighted, or had fun? When?
   • Were there any moments you felt confused? When?
   • Were there any moments you felt frustrated? When?
   • How was your experience usability testing for us? Please let us know if we can improve the testing process itself.

Thank you!