HOW TO EFFECTIVELY PRESENT USABILITY PROBLEMS TO STAKEHOLDERS.
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” Albert Einstein
Imagine you were contacted by the stakeholders of an organization to find out the reason their website or mobile application is not converting visitors to purchasing customers.
You, as a seasoned designer, carried out a usability test on the platform and was able to spot usability flaws. How will you communicate your findings to the stakeholders in a way they would understand?
For better context we will talk about:
-Usability.
-Usability Problems.
-How to effectively present usability problems.
WHAT IS USABILITY
Usability refers to how easily customers can use, navigate or access a product or service. It relates to the overall accessibility, clarity, credibility, simplicity, and relevancy of a website or mobile application for users.
If the image of an organization is often shaped by the performance of its online application and how easily and convenient it can be navigated by various users without assistance, how do we present our usability problems to the stakeholder?
USABILITY PROBLEMS
Usability problems refer to issues that hinder users from effectively and efficiently interacting with a website or mobile application.
Here are some usability problems;
- Confusing navigation
- Clustered layout
- Ambiguous instructions
- Lack of compatibility with different devices
- Poor readability and legibility
- Inadequate accessibility features
- Slow page load time
- Lack of feedback
HOW TO EFFECTIVELY PRESENT USABILITY PROBLEMS TO STAKEHOLDERS.
Now that you understand usability and common usability problems let’s see the appropriate methods of presenting our findings to stakeholders.
- Use of Prototype: Interactive prototypes can be used to show stakeholders how users interact with the product or service and where they encounter usability problems. This can be a more engaging and effective way to present usability problems as stakeholders can relate with the process instead of being presented with static images and figures.
DON’T just TELL your stakeholders about the problem, SHOW them why its not working.
2. Screen Recording: capturing users as they attempt to complete tasks using the product or service is an efficient method of conducting usability testing. It helps to show stakeholders the specific steps that users are having difficulty with while navigating.
3. Dashboard: dashboard can be used to track usability testing and evaluation progress. It helps you to identify areas for improvement and make better decisions based on data generated that can be shown to stakeholders.
CONCLUSION
The essence of effective presentation of usability problems is to ensure the stakeholders have a visual glimpse of the struggles the users faces in navigating their website or mobile application in such an approach that they will emphasize with the users while also identifying the flaws behind their poor customer conversion and business decline.
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