Usability Testing: Methods, Use Cases & Templates

Data Collected from Usability Testing

You might wonder what insights usability testing provides. Typically, after running usability tests, valuable data is gathered. With a user research platform like UXArmy, you can collect actionable insights, including (but not limited to):

• Task Success Rates: The percentage of users who successfully complete tasks. A high success rate indicates that the interface of a product might be simple to use, which low success rates might mean there are usability issues that need to be solved by better design.
  
  
• System Usability Scale (SUS) Scores: A standardized questionnaire that provides a quantitative measure of overall usability or user-friendliness based on user responses. It helps to summarize how users feel about the system’s ease of use.
  
  
• Navigation Patterns: UXArmy’s navigation tree allows you to observe how users move through a product’s interface. This can reveal confusing design elements or key areas where users get lost or struggle to retrieve information.
  
  
• Quantitative and Qualitative Feedback: User ratings on satisfaction or difficulty are useful to analyze the usability of a product’s interface. Likewise, user comments during interviews can reveal their opinions and frustrations that can prompt a design improvement.
  
  
• Heatmaps: Visual representations that show the areas of the interface receive the most attention or clicks, often based on mouse movements. Heatmaps highlight which elements on the product’s interface are often noticed or ignored by users.

Understanding Different Methods of Usability Testing

When it comes to designing user-friendly products, exploring different methods of usability testing can be both exciting and insightful. Each testing method offers a unique perspective on how users interact with a product, helping to uncover potential pain points and areas for improvement. By diving into various approaches, you can better understand user behavior, refine your designs, and create experiences that truly resonate with your target users.

All usability testing methods fall into these categories:

• Qualitative or quantitative
  
  

• Qualitative research focuses on understanding people’s experiences, behaviors, emotions, and interactions in depth.
  
  
• Quantitative research relies on gathering and analyzing numeral data to identify trends and patterns in user behavior.
  
  

• Moderated or unmoderated
  
  

• A moderated usability test involves a researcher being present to guide users through tasks. The moderator provides instructions, answers any questions the user may have, and observes their behavior in real-time. This allows for probing and clarification of misunderstandings, especially in user interview sessions!
  
  
• An unmoderated usability test is conducted without the presence of a UX researcher. Users can attempt a test at their own convenience without interacting with a moderator or researcher. This approach is usually more cost-effective.

• Remote or in-person
  
  

• In a remote usability test session, users engage with the product from their own location, using their own devices. This is convenient and flexible for users, but the researcher might have less control over the testing environment.
  
  
• In-person usability tests are conducted often in a controlled setting such as a lab or office. Users interact directly with the product while being observed by a researcher. Direct observation can be done, with researchers being able to take note of body language or emotional expressions of the user. However, in-person usability testing might incur more costs and require more logistics. Recruitment might be affected by limited geographical reach.

Note: Check out this blog to know how to run effective remote usability testing sessions for your product

Key Usability Testing Approaches for your product

Under these categories, there are a variety of usability testing methods. Here are some common methods that might be useful to test your product:

• Task-Based Testing: Users are given specific tasks using the product or experiencing a journey, and their performance is observed to identify usability issues. On the UXArmy platform, you can test your mobile apps or websites at any point in the design or development cycle!
  
  
• A/B Testing: Compare 2 versions of a product or feature, and determine which one performs better in terms of user interaction or conversion rates, depending on the goal of your research.
  
  
• Surveys or Questionnaires: Users provide feedback on their experiences, often through structured questions, to gauge satisfaction and gather insights on usability.
  
  
• Card Sorting: Users organize information into groups or categories, to help design intuitive navigation systems for your product. UXArmy can help to improve your product’s information architecture.
  
  
• Tree Testing: Users are presented with a simplified version of the product’s navigation structure (often referred to as a “tree”), and will be asked to find specific information. This helps determine how intuitive the navigation is and whether users can easily find the content they are looking for. Evaluate your product’s menu labels or categories today!
  
  
• Heuristic Evaluation: Experts evaluate a product against established usability principles (heuristics) to identify potential usability flaws without involving actual users.
  
  
• Diary Studies: Usersrecord their experiences and interactions with a product over time, just like writing a diary entry. This offers insights into long-term usability and user satisfaction.