Lionbridge Content Development

A Starting Point for Usability Testing

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Another great post by Alaina Eldredge...

This last month, usability testing was a frequent topic during conversations with colleagues and clients, and one common theme was this: Why don't more companies conduct usability testing during the normal course of their UI design process? While I can't be certain of the answer in all cases, I do know that schedule, cost, and lack of know-how are typical key players.

Last post, I stated that usability testing needn't be time-consuming, expensive, or difficult to implement. I'd like to expand on that assertion by providing a generic jumping-off point for those who want to include usability testing in their UI design process but who are not quite sure where to start.

To get the ball rolling, let's assume that the top three roadblocks are indeed as stated previously: schedule, cost, and know-how. Here's some advice from two usability experts that addresses all three:

• Jakob Nielsen's "Why You Only Need to Test With 5 Users". I've read opinions that argue against some of Jakob's recommendations, but if schedule and cost are indeed roadblocks for your organization, this article is a must-read. In it, Jakob describes his practice of iterative design and how using it will save money. And while he succinctly defines why you typically need only 5 users, he does acknowledge toward the end of the article that some UI design projects will require additional users, and he describes how to recognize when that's the case.

• Chapter 9 of Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think. Cheekily titled "Usability Testing on 10 Cents a Day", this chapter expands on Jakob Nielsen's recommendations. It also addresses all three roadblocks - schedule, cost, and know-how - by explaining in detail how to:

• Keep testing simple and inexpensive (so you'll do it frequently during the design process);
• Conduct the session, going so far as providing a sample test session interview script and recommendations for a simple-yet-effective lab set-up; and,
• Complete one full usability testing session in one morning (no kidding)

Again, the above are good starting points. Doubtless, you'll want to refine your usability testing techniques over time. And, if usability testing will be a main long-term objective, consider keeping an eye on the following:

• U.S. Health & Human Services research-based guidelines, including design recommendations as well as usability guidelines; a good first stop for usability and design considerations.
• WSU's Software Usability Research Laboratory. Produced by WSU's Psychology department, this site provides excellent information about the latest usability studies (and other interesting nuggets and services, as well).
• UsabilityViews.com. At this writing, UsabilityViews provides access to 11,000+ articles about usability.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to post here, or contact me directly at Alaina (dot) Eldredge (at) Lionbridge (dot) com.