Services: Usability Testing
- In a usability test, we observe typical end-users as they perform realistic tasks using your product. We measure the users' behavior, thoughts and feelings about the product in order to assess the product's specific strengths and weaknesses.
"Usability assessment is worth upwards of 500 times its cost for large systems and 5 times its cost even for very small ones." (Landauer, The Trouble With Computers)
Process - what happens during a usability test
- We meet with you to learn about your product and define the goals of the test
- With your guidance, we develop a set of tasks that represent the key tasks users perform with your product
- You recruit a group of 8 to 10 test users who are representative of your actual users (We can recruit users for an extra fee)
- We conduct the usability test individually for each user (usually about an hour per user)
- We analyze the data from the test and prepare a report
- We present our findings to you and discuss the implications of the findings with your product developers
Deliverables - what you will receive from a usability test
- You will receive a written report and and in-person presentation containing an organized list of problems users experienced with the product. For each problem, you will receive:
- a verbal/textual description, plus an image or video clip, if needed
- an explanation of what caused the problem
- a rating of the severity and impact of the problem
- a recommended interface design solution
- The report & presentation will also document the speed and accuracy with which users performed key tasks with the product. This helps pinpoint the tasks that work well and the tasks that are usability bottlenecks.
- The written report will be a multimedia document (using text, graphics & video) delivered via CD-ROM or the internet.
Time and Cost
- Time: 2 to 4 weeks. The main limiting factor is the time to recruit and schedule test users.
- Cost: $5000 to $8000
Copyright © 2005-2008 Gugerty Usability Services. All Rights Reserved
|