Usability testing has the unfair reputation of being expensive and time-consuming, but that’s simply not the case. It’s even been found that usability testing can deliver significant Return on Investment (ROI), with studies showing that for every dollar an organisation spends to increase usability it receives between ten and 100 dollars in benefits, and that organisations which redesign for usability see an average improvement of 83% in key performance indicators. This evidence presents a strong argument that, in fact, you cannot afford not to conduct usability testing on your products and services as part of the product development lifecycle.
With lots of testing methods out there, from quick, lightweight ‘guerrilla’ testing through to specialist lab-based services, usability testing can be employed at any point throughout a project. This post covers the strengths, and limitations, of each method to help you determine which is most appropriate for each stage of your project.
Referring to its ‘out in the wild’ style, guerrilla testing is performed by User Experience (UX) consultants using a portable testing kit in order to gather feedback from users in their natural environment.
Benefits
Limitations
Our guerrilla testing unboxing post has further details about the approach as well as real-world examples.
In the moderated remote method, testing takes place outside the lab with users participating in their own home using their own computer/device, and a UX consultant on-hand to moderate sessions via third-party software.
Benefits
Limitations
Like moderated remote testing, unmoderated user testing takes place outside the lab with users participating in their own home using their own computer/device; however, unlike the moderated approach no third-party facilitator is present.
Benefits
Limitations
To learn more about remote testing, both moderated and unmoderated, please read our unboxing post.
A ‘qualitative’ research method, in lab-based testing participants are recorded in a dedicated laboratory with each session facilitated and observed by UX consultants.
Benefits
Limitations
To find out more about lab-based testing, take a look at our unboxing post on the approach.
The most appropriate type of usability testing is typically dependent on project budget and time constraints. But, having observed hundreds of hours testing I firmly believe the best approach is to mix methods in order to capture both quantitative and qualitative results, and also to use different approaches to test frequently, from early market research through to post-launch testing. For example, although I find laboratory testing is best for delivering excellent user insight, guerrilla testing is useful for capturing feedback very quickly, while dozens of sessions can be run at a modest cost using unmoderated remote testing.
If you’ve realised that you can’t afford not to include usability testing in your projects, and want to learn more about Box UK’s experience of running successful user testing projects across multiple platforms and industry sectors get in touch today.