Information from Quality Assurance Companies: Advantages of Usability Testing
Information from Quality Assurance Companies: Advantages of Usability Testing
Usability testing focuses on examining a software product by testing it on real users. Typically, during testing process, participants are assigned to perform common tasks while watchers listen, observe and take notes. This type of verification allows quality assurance companies to identify all possible usability problems, gather quantitative data and gain a qualitative understanding of what is causing the user to experience trouble or making him unhappy and determine which enhancements must be made to the design.
In order to execute a usability test effectively, there must a sound test plan, right participants and bug-report analysis.
Advantages of Usability Testing
The best way to know what is right and what is wrong with user interface is to see people use it. A usability test makes it possible for designers and developers to identify issues before they are programmed. Problems should be identified and eliminated as early as possible since this will make the fixing faster and cheaper. Top software testing companies help you cut down development costs and shorten time-to-market. In usability testing, the testers will:
- Estimate the time needed to complete a certain task
- Learn if participants are capable of completing certain tasks successfully
- Measure the level of participant satisfaction with the product
- Determine how much work is required to improve user satisfaction or performance
There is no need for official lab
Usability testing can be competed effectively outside official usability testing laboratory. You can effectively run usability test in the following settings:
- Room equipped with transportable recording gear
- Fixed lab with 2-3 connected rooms having audio-visual equipment
- Room without recording equipment so long as the user is being observed by someone who is taking notes
Factors that affect cost
Testing costs basically depend on:
- Testing technique preferred
- Number of team members involved in testing
- Number of participants running testing
- Number of days spent for testing
You need to include more than one usability test into your budget. But if you decide to outsource qa you will be able to save yourself an awful lot of trouble. The usability specialists can properly allocate time and resources without wasting them. Besides, they know how to deal with participants to make the most of their testing work.
