Usability testing is based on choice of a suitable sample of respondents - the users of the interface in question. It is used in different phases of development, when it is needed to isolate or test a concrete mental model of the target user group. This is nowadays pursued also by the ISO norm 20282: “Ease of operation of everyday products”.
Methods
User testing is based on:
- user action and behaviour assessment
- interviews and questionnaire evaluation
- experimental variant comparison
On the contrary, usability analysis consists of:
- theoretical reflection of goals and cognitive load of users
- theoretical analysis of meaning of individual interaction elements
- expert evaluation of inteface walkthrough
- heuristic usability analysis based on guidelines
Benefits
A practical benefit of user testing is a set of recommendations for improving the user experience and fulfillment of expectations we put in the interface.
Compared to expert analysis, user testing is often more expensive when it comes to time and finances needed to carry it on.
More information
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