What does usability testing do? Knowledge in 3 minute

Usability Testing is described in the ISQB Glossary as follows

Usability Testing
Testing to evaluate the degree to which the system can be used by specified users with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use.

What specific aspects of effectiveness, efficiency, and degree of satisfaction should be tested?

“Ten Usability Heuristics” as defined by Jacob Nielsen will help you understand what to consider when conducting usability tests.

1. Visibility of system status

For example, if the screen is loading, the design should be such that the user can tell that the screen is loading now.

2. Match between system and the real world

This is like saying that the words (vocabulary) used in the system should be words that are commonly used by the target users and match the real world.

For example, “User registration is complete” is easier for users to understand than “Data has been sent to the server” on the user registration completion screen.

3. User control and freedom

For example, a “Back” button or a “Back to Previous Screen” button would allow the user to return to the previous screen if he or she makes a mistake.

4. Consistency and standards

For example, a button that says “Back” on one screen and “Back to previous screen” on another screen may confuse the user. This is a case of “let’s make it consistent.

5. Error prevention

For example, if you have a phone number entry field that only allows numbers, give the user an example of how to enter the number so that they do not make an error by entering anything other than a number.

Ex：010120132

6. Recognition rather than recall

For example, when entering an address on a screen, after entering the country, and then entering an address following the country entered earlier on the next screen, it is easier for the user to operate the system intuitively if the country selected is displayed.

In this way, users can use the system intuitively without having to memorize the information.

7, Flexibility and efficiency of use

For example, novice users and heavy users will find different designs that are “easy to use. The idea is to create a flexible and efficient design that allows users to switch between a screen design that is “easy to use” for novice users and a screen design that is “easy to use” for heavy users.

8 Aesthetic and minimalist design

We want to eliminate unnecessary things, keep it simple, and make it crisp and clear.

9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors

For example, when a validation error occurs in an input form, the user should be able to recognize which part of the form is causing the error and why (e.g., the number of characters is over or the character format is different).

10. Help and documentation

The idea is to provide help and manuals so that users can easily access them.

These are the 10 principles of usability as defined by Jacob Nielsen.

Why don’t you take a look at them as a reference for your usability testing perspective?