Usability Testing and Development
What is Usability Testing
In a Usability Test Addictive Media consultants observe typical users of your website as they complete key tasks. This allows us to pinpoint problems with the existing site and make recommendations for further improvement.
With your guidance we will generally pick a range of 6-12 users that match your typical user's profile. These participants will sit one-by-one in front of a computer with one of our consultants and complete a range of key tasks. They will be encouraged to "think out loud" as they go along, which enables us to capture and evaluate their personal impression of your website as well as any difficulties they may encounter.
A small group of only 6-12 users has proven to be efficient enough to highlight a site's weaknesses and strengths. This means 1-2 days of testing can provide you with an extensive array of results and is an excellent base for creating a user-friendly website. We analyse the results for you and provide you with a clear and detailed report of observations and recommendations.
When to do Usability Testing
The earlier you can conduct Usability Testing into the development process of your site, the cheaper it will be for you to implement any of the recommendations made.
Quite often we will advise you to begin with a "Prototype Test", which includes user-based testing of your website at the beginning of the development stage. Prototype Testing is used to plan the Information Architecture and ensures your potential users will understand the structure and the titles of your navigation items as well as testing key functionalities.
Usability Tests may also be conducted at selected stages throughout the development process or as a final analysis of your site before launch. Your Return of Investment (ROI) will be maximised and you ensure your customers receive a product that fulfils their requirements and expectations.