One More Test: Usability Testing
So yeah,, I think this is my last article for this software engineering project :’((( It has been so fun yet so frightening writing on an article, understand it, and present about what we got after making the article, one by one with the lecturer.
This last article will be about……………….
Testing,,,, yeah another testing. But, this testing is not like coding a test before we code to pass particular test as well as finishing the project. This testing is involving user and their experience when using our applications. This testing is called Usability Testing.
According to www.experienceux.co.uk, usability testing is a way to see how easy to use something is by testing it with real users. Users are asked to complete several tasks along with the scenario. Most of the time, the users are being observed by a researcher, to see where they encounter problems and experience confusion. If there are some users faced similar problems, researcher will report the result of the UT to the developer and the developer team will fix those issues.
Why we need usability testing?
As a software developer, we might hear usability testing and user testing. Both of them are actually different even though they are kinds of method that usually being used to test a desktop, website, or mobile based application. The purposes of user testing are for finding out whether the developed application is already satisfied the user’s needs or not. On the other hand, usability testing is for finding out whether the developed application is can be used by the user. In short it tests the functionality of the application to several user.
In software development, usability testing is necessary because in the test we will know what are the struggles faced by the sample user. Just keep in mind, the developer might be not a target market of the developed application. It means that although the developer knows the application inside out (front end and back end), it doesn’t mean that they are the target market as well. For example, in this software engineering project, we develop an e-commerce that specialized in artwork with auction scheme. But, none of us is an artist that might sell an artwork such as painting, photography, or sculpture in our applications. So based on this scenario, we need the usability testing to retrieve an insight from the real users. Their insight will be used by the developer and designer to make sure the application is fully functional and ready 100 percent before releasing the product. An improvement regarding bugs is not mandatory if the usability testing result is already flawless.
Conducting usability testing
There are many ways to conduct usability testing. Usually, it can be done by the design and developer team in a cozy place such as a campus library or café. But in this pandemic condition, we do usability testing of our project by online meeting using Zoom application.
There are some stages that must have been done when your team want to conduct usability testing for your project. Based on my experience, these are 3 stages that could be helpful to conduct UT, starting from the pre-UT, the UT itself, and post-UT.
Pre UT
Choose the right user sample
Before conducting UT, your team has to specify who’s going to be the proper user’s group that represent your user application eventually. In this project because our project is an e-commerce specialized in an artwork, I have to look for an artist or art enthusiast such as painter, graphic designer, sculpturer, or photographer. The chance for them to use our application is quite high because they are usually commercialising their artwork. It’s kinda silly if you choose singer as the user tester (singer cannot sell their voice through an auction scheme obviously).
Define the scenarios
Scenarios are the most important thing that you have to prepare before conducting UT. In the scenarios, we can set the parameters that we want to test and observe in order to get the insight from the sample user. This is the “story” that consist of series of task that supposed to be done correctly by the user. To make the scenarios understandable by the users, you can make it concisely and briefly. Don’t forget to provide sufficient information so the user will not be confused by the words of the scenarios.
To make the observer’s easier to take notes and delivering the scenarios, I encourage you to make a Google sheets that consist of scenarios and user’s personal information such as name, age, and background. This background means user’s educational background, hobbies, or their community that related to your application’s purposes. If it is possible, you can add several feedback questions to sum up the usability testing for each user.
UT
Document the test
While conducting UT, you have to prepare your sheets that I previously mentioned because this is a mandatory thing to bring to the UT. Otherwise, the observer cannot deliver the scenarios and takes notes properly. During the UT, observers supposed to be aware to analyse user’s thoughts and write it down to the docs as a documentation.
When meeting the user, don’t forget to present your best attitude because we have to appreciate them. They already vacate their time to be a volunteer of your project and have nothing in return. Bringing your best attitude doesn’t mean you have to be “stiff” to the user. On the contrary, you have to be friendly yet polite when you interact with the user. Usually, the observers use everyday language to make the interaction seamless, so the user will not be ashamed or awkward when expressing their thoughts.
In the test, observers have to provide minimal or no guidance to the user. This is intended for the user so that they can be transparent while giving our application assessment. If the user can do the scenarios flawlessly, it means the application is already intuitive, functional, and user friendly indeed.
After the test, observers supposed to ask for the user feedback. This is intended for the user so that they can give us the insights and experience that they have experienced while using the application. Their thoughts, critics, and suggestion will obviously beneficial for the developer and design team. Don’t forget to say thank you to the user for the time, because you have already wasted their time and don’t forget to ask their blessing for us to release our application.
Post UT
“Make up” the documentation as a report
Finally, last thing that we have to do is make up the docs that already written. It might be still rough and not understandable so you have to make it up as a report. In my case, I wrote the report covering the success status, conclusions, final analysis, and the feedback questions consisting their opinion about the application designs, flows, and so on.
That is all from me, hopefully this article helps for those who want to conduct usability testing. Last thing, good luck for your product.
Byeeeeeee….
