Conducting User Testing
Quick Tip!
Usability testing is an essential part of the product development process. Products such as websites, games, and apps will go through the testing process.
At the Digital Corps, an important part of the project development process is to ensure it is free of any usability issues and meets the expectations of users. There are two types of testing done at the Corps: Quality Assurance and Usability. The first step for either of these is to create a testing plan. The plan should outline the details of both types of testing, including a QA spreadsheet, a script, and user tasks.
Quality Assurance Testing
Quality assurance testing is used to check each possible interaction on a project. This should be conducted after the project is finished through the first round of development – basically like a first draft of the project. QA testing feedback will lead to revisions of the product, where newer ‘drafts’ will be created.
When conducting quality assurance testing, it is important to pay close attention to detail. The testing plan should include a list of everything that needs to be tested, along with a Google Sheet/Excel Document to record each testable state. This list typically includes:
- Default state of a page/screen
- Relevant state changes
- Animations or transitions
- Navigation and flow
- Different screens
- Devices and browsers
- User input fields and related messages
- Other visual or functional aspect of the system
Use this list to review each possible page/interaction (if applicable) to test the functionality. If any issues (bugs) arise, use the document to record those issues in the appropriate field, with as much detail as possible, including applicable screenshots of the problem.
If deemed necessary, a second round of QA testing might occur to ensure new problems were not introduced after the first round or after changes made based on the usability testing results.
Quick Tip!
When conducting QA testing, consider the following:
- the intended functionality of the project
- the testing plan
- common usability principles (check out this article on usability heuristics)
Usability Testing
Usability testing helps a project team determine if the project is free of usability issues or pain points for participants. While a testing plan is important for quality assurance testing, it is crucial to conduct usability testing. The plan should include a script, tasks, a post-test questionnaire, and other key components. This will guide you through the process, and will be helpful if you ever get stuck.
Usability testing should take place at multiple points throughout the design and development phase, and there should always be a round of testing that occurs after QA testing feedback is implemented. After the plan is approved, the UX Team member should schedule five participants to start the usability testing. This is the typical number of testers used at the Corps for each round of testing, but some projects may require more or less. Depending on the project, some testing occurs with all five participants at once, and other times it will be one-on-one.
It is important to exclude anyone who is actively working on the project being tested. These individuals would have an unfair advantage to complete the tasks, which would skew and bias the data collected. Most testing conducted at the Corps can be completed in an hour. A member of the Project Management Team can help schedule testing times if you have difficulty finding a time where five people are clocked-in and free.
As part of the script, ask participants to use the Think Aloud method, which encourages them to share any thoughts they have while completing the tasks, whether good, bad, or simply the thought process as they navigate and use the website or application. Be prepared for moments of dead air when using this method. There may be times when a participant is thinking about what they want to do next, so do not be afraid to sit in silence for a few seconds. However, if they have difficulty sharing their thoughts throughout the testing, feel free to ask them what they are thinking or why they took the action that they did during testing.
Other than listening to participant responses, pay attention to body language as you conduct the test. It is a valuable and telling data point. A participant can reveal a lot about their feelings of an experience through their body language. If they say they like a design but they are frowning the whole time, make note of it. Sometimes participants do not always say exactly what they feel, so pay close attention to their body language throughout the session.
Quick Tip!
It may be helpful to have a second UX Team member present during testing to help take notes of participants’ thoughts and body language. Ask another UX Team member to help if you feel that you need another note taker.
User testing is an important part of creating new products at the Corps. The amount of feedback from testing can vary from project to project, but every bit of feedback is essential to create a great product for potential users. By conducting testing, the Corps ensures they are creating the best product possible for the client’s needs.
