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Types of Usability Studies
There are many methods and reasons for conducting usability studies and
strong reasons supporting each. As
a general rule, approximately 10% of a project's budget should be
dedicated to usability. The return on this investment is exponential in
reducing training costs or improving customer experiences.
One of the most important and often overlooked issues around usability
studies is the need for it throughout the design process. To conduct one
test at the end of the development cycle is costly and can result in wasted
development efforts. Proper usability testing should occur at all phases
of the design and development process. Below is a brief explanation of
key phases in which usability tests should occur:
- Evaluation: Before beginning a new design, evaluate the old one first
- Competitive Analysis: Test and evaluate the competition (if available)
- Field Study: Find out how the users behave normally
- Rapid Prototyping: Create simple versions of the multiple design ideas
and conduct a user test
- Refine Prototypes: Using ideas that tested best, refine them to another
level and conduct another test
- Inspect: Evaluate the revised design based on known usability guidelines
- Final Testing: Upon completing the final design, test it again for
subtle problems that have arisen during implementation
It is not always necessary to have a high-tech usability laboratory. Many
small usability studies can be conducted in an office conference room. It
is important to minimize distractions and interuptions but above all ensure
that the user's a comfortable and can provide the most realistic experience
possible (Norman, 2003).
- User Testing
- The most basic and useful method of studying usability
- Usability Guidelines: a matrix for evaluation (MIT)
- A comprehensive matrix that provides a checklist of features to consider when designing for usablity.
- RITE Method
- Rapid Iterative Testing and Evaluation Method
- Situationally Appropriate Interaction
- Designing interfaces to support human attention
- The HomeNet Project
- understanding American's use of the internet at home
- InfoCockpits
- Human-Computer Interfaces that Improve Human Memory
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