Goals of Usability Testing
Usability testing is a black-box testing technique. The aim is to observe people using the product to discover errors and areas of improvement. Usability testing generally involves measuring how well test subjects respond in four areas: efficiency, accuracy, recall, and emotional response. The results of the first test can be treated as a baseline or control measurement; all subsequent tests can then be compared to the baseline to indicate improvement.
- Efficiency -- How much time, and how many steps, are required for people to complete basic tasks? (For example, find something to buy, create a new account, and order the item.)
- Accuracy -- How many mistakes did people make? (And were they fatal or recoverable with the right information?)
- Recall -- How much does the person remember afterwards or after periods of non-use?
- Emotional response -- How does the person feel about the tasks completed? Is the person confident, stressed? Would the user recommend this system to a friend?
To assess the usability of the system under usability testing, quantitative and/or qualitative Usability goals (also called usability requirements) have to be defined beforehand. If the results of the usability testing meet the Usability goals, the system can be considered as usable for the end-users whose representatives have tested it.
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