Testing

Although testing is listed as the last stage in the usability process, it's really a good idea to test, test, test throughout the design stages, beginning with the low-fidelity prototypes. Although the development team may be certain that their creation is certainly intuitive and incredibly user-friendly, it can be a very humbling experience to watch users bumble their way through the application because nothing in the application is clear.

Testing does not have to be complicated and expensive, although in some cases that may be appropriate. One of the most inexpensive and effective forms of user testing is the "usability checklist." Although the criteria for the checklist changes depending on the type of product, many of the basics are the same.

Below is a method for employing a checklist-based user test for a website:

1. Preliminary Self-Appraisal - Using the website checklist provided below, evaluate the site yourself initially.
2. Provide tasks and checklist to your testers - Create a list of typical tasks that most users will need, and ask your testers to walk through them. Ask them to note any problems that they encounter.
3. Provide some brief instructions - Explain to the users that they are not being tested, the website is! Many users will assume that any difficult they have is their fault, not the website's. These are the problems you specifically want to correct.
4. Leave - Don't interfere, lead, or suggest solutions to the testers in any way.
5. Obtain Feedback - Analyze the comments, reports, and checklists looking especially for repeated instances among testers. •