By: Byron Pogo Ramírez
The goal of many digital products is to provide good experiences to all their users. Gone are the days of trial and error where companies released products that were developed with a very limited (or almost no) vision of the real needs of their potential customers. This is why usability testing is of great relevance within the UX creation process, because it allows us to have a much closer look at how people use the product.
To discover the best way and proceed with the progressive optimization of our interactive product, it is extremely necessary to know the problem, we need to see the user at work, understand the environment and how the tasks are executed in their daily life. For Nielsen (2001) the best method of user research is through three lines which are:
- Observe the user, what he/she does and how he/she behaves.
- Not believing in what they say they do.
- Do not believe in predicting the future of people and what they may do.
Nielsen's recommendations are part of a study conducted where you can identify how the user is inclined to a decision because it sounds “modern”, “cool”, or because they think that's what the research wants to hear. This does not mean that the interactive product will actually be used as a solution to their problem; a product cannot be developed based only on hypothetical or idealized situations on the part of potential users. These research processes aim to gather information about possible interests, functions of the platform, not necessarily because they would be used in real life.
Farrell (2017) presents the following outline of the research process that should be undertaken during the process of creating an interactive product based on the recommendations made by Nielsen.
| Discovery | Field studyDaily observationInterviews (Users)Interviews (Company)Survey of requirements |
| Exploration | Competitiveness analysisDesign reviewScenario buildingScenario buildingTask analysisPrototype buildingFeedback |
| Testing | Usability testing (in-person or remote)Accessibility evaluation |
| Monitoring | SurveysReview analysisLog review Bug reviewFAQ |
Figure 1. Top UX Research Methods. Source: UX Research Cheat Sheet, Susan Farrell
Within this proposed research process we can see how listening to people is just one part of the process, and that is where the creation of the UX requires many additional steps to ensure that the end result meets the user's expectations.
Why are user tests important?
As we have realized so far, the process of creating an interactive product involves many steps before reaching the product launch, but perhaps one of the most important steps is when we start to involve the user as part of the process of continuous improvement of the design/prototype, which allows us to get a new vision about the product and the elements that must be corrected before moving to the next stage of the process.
The presence of the user in the review process gives us a justification (or validation) to what has been developed during the whole process, and it is precisely thanks to this step that the risk of the product failing once it has been released is reduced. This model of testing with real users will also help during the product's lifetime, as it is a source of information to eliminate defects and bugs in the platform, ensuring that we are delivering a good user experience.
Figure 2. Testing process in low-end prototypes. Source: ESAN
In order to carry out a good testing, it will be necessary that the team in charge of the project development goes through several stages, which will allow them to gather information to be used during the interactive process of product creation:
Planning
Testing is not about giving a prototype to any person with a certain degree of understanding of the technology. The selection of the people who will be in charge of manipulating the prototype and giving their opinions must be done responsibly; the first “testers" must be the ones who will be in charge of the prototype.“testers”The final target group to which the interactive product is oriented should be part of the final target group. In addition, it must be clear which aspects will be tested by the chosen ones.
Task definition
The testing time is very important, so previously the team in charge of the development of the project must adequately define the tasks that will be requested to the users, which will be clear and specific. Within this process, the aim is to determine how the user will interact with the platform; this stage does not include the guidance in performing the tasks.
Testers
As mentioned during the planning process, it is important to be clear about the objectives of the product and who it is aimed at, so at this stage we look for users who are part of the target group, because only in this way we can really measure the experience of potential users.
Observation
During the time the user is interacting with the prototype of the interactive, it is important to observe carefully while performing the tasks that have been entrusted to him; this information will allow the identification of the moments in which he may encounter a problem in the process or if he is comfortable or satisfied during the experience. It is of great relevance to measure the time that the tester The company is delayed in the completion of the assigned tasks, which will allow for improvements in the flow of information presented.
At the end of the tasks, the user can be asked questions about his experience during the handling of the prototype in each of the tasks given.
| Tasks | Weather | Remarks | Feedback |
| Task 1 | |||
| Task 2 | |||
| Task 3 | |||
| Task 4 |
Figure 3. Experience evaluation chart. Source: Own elaboration: Own elaboration
While the information is being tabulated, it is recommended to make all the annotations of the process in order to identify possibilities for improvement.
Report
Once all the information has been collected, it will be very important to review the results of the testing process to verify the problems that have been identified and what kind of improvements can be made to improve results.
What can be tested?
In fact, testing can be performed throughout the entire product creation process, from the early stages when prototyping with paper cutouts, even when the product is already in the air; always with the objective of executing the testing as soon as possible to know about possible problems that can be detected later on. The important thing is to test and precisely that leads us to understand that there are different ways to perform these tests.
According to Pi (2020) attempts to summarize the types of user testing that can be performed, depending on the space where they are executed, which are detailed below:
Moderate Tests. Types of testing where an equipment manager meets with the testers and guides them, presenting the list of tasks to be performed, which is a great advantage since additional information can be obtained from the users during the process. One of the main disadvantages of this type of testing is that the user is aware that he/she is being evaluated by another person, so the orientation of his/her answers may have some degree of subjectivity when trying to please the moderators.
Unmoderated tests. It is a type of testing that has become popular during the time of pandemic, because it does not need to have those involved in person in a room, but the list of tasks and the prototype is sent, with the purpose that the user performs the tests while the screen is being recorded.
Guerrilla test. It is the unplanned testing, which appropriates an outdoor space for testing; one feature is that it only aims to perform a quick check of a specific feature of the product (design, color, a particular function); this type of testing can be performed in restaurants, bars, by one of the moderators. It is a quick way to validate some aspect that generates doubts.
Laboratory test. These tests are carried out in specialized rooms for the execution of this type of activities; it is intended that the users do not have external distractions during the development of the tasks. The disadvantage of this type of test is that it may be that the users are not testers feel self-conscious during the process.
As mentioned and explained throughout this article, it is of great relevance to involve the end user during the validation processes of our interactive, and usability testing can be a great ally to identify possible problems or difficulties during the user's experience with the product. Once the importance of this process is recognized, we will be able to start developing better products that can provide real solutions to our users.
Bibliography
Aguirre E. (2019) UX Design: a methodology for designing efficient user-centered digital projects. Espacios Magazine
Aguilar S. (2020). Usability testing in UX design.
Calvo-Fernández A. (2014). Evaluation methods with users. Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.
Farrell S. (2017). UX Research Cheat Sheet. NNGroup
Nielsen, J., and Levy, J. (1994). Measuring usability - preference vs. performance. Communications of the ACM 37
Nielsen J (2001). “First rule of usability? Don't listen to users”. Alertbox
Pi C. (2020). The importance of user testing for your design.
Retrieved from: https://blog.imagineer.co/es/pruebas-de-usabilidad-en-el-diseno-ux
Retrieved from: https://www.novicell.es/es/blog/importancia-de-los-test-de-usuarios-para-tu-diseno/
Saquero C. (2019). Design and development of a UX evaluation methodology. University of Alicante.
