Usability Testing FAQ

What is the productivity paradox?
Why do developers test usability?
What are some of the success stories?
Is usability testing cost effective?
What are the steps in the usability testing process?
How is a testing lab set up?

I adapted these paragraphs from the corporate pages of

I got the testing lab photo from

What is the productivity paradox?

Introducing computers into an organization does not always produce immediate productivity gains.

	Users must be trained
	Work must be reorganized
	Computers must get easier to use

Why do developers test usability?

As the software industry continues to evolve, so do the interfaces and designs. It's one thing to develop software with lots of kewl features. All the features in the world are useless if people can't figure out how to use them.

Also, the legion of non-geek computer users demands software that has all the whistles and bells they want and that is easy to use. The usability testing process has the power to turn a good, feature-rich software product into a great product.

What are some of the success stories?

Is the glass half-empty or half-full?

In a mature market where all the big companies emphasize usability testing, the success of many well-known products can be attributed to it. That is, when software faces direct competition that provides the same features and functions, one package's slight edge in user-friendliness, gained through usability testing, sometimes makes it a market leader. Netscape's browser is a terrific example.

Is usability testing cost effective?

In organizations, users are demanding that the software at work be as easy as the software at home. Studies show that every hour spent with users on design saves an IS department about five hours of coding. Usability testing during the development of a software application results in savings in excess of $1000 per user over five years.

Improving the ease of use and the ease of learning:

	increases use; decreases errors
	increases productivity
	reduces training costs and time
	reduces support costs
	improves user satisfaction

What is the usability testing process?

Usability testing requires a lot more than a test subject and a facility. Testers must:

	learn the software
	set objectives
	determine the testing methodology
	design surveys
	write appropriate scenarios
	recruit users
	conduct the testing
	record the results
	carefully analyze the results

How is a testing lab set up?

The classic lab has two large offices or classrooms separated by a one-way mirror.

The test room in each lab is equipped with multiple video cameras, audio equipment, and everything a user needs to operate the software. In the test room are real users -- recruited from the target market -- who perform a specific set of tasks with the software.

The video control and observation room has monitors, a video recorder with special-effects switching, a two-way audio system, remote camera controls, a PC for test log purposes, and sometimes a telephone for use as a help desk. In the observation room, the testers watch as the users work and can see and hear everything that causes them to be confused. The testers get a good picture:

	how usable is the software?
	where does it need to be improved?
	how can the developers improve it?

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