Usability testing is a series of methods for evaluating how well people can use tools or systems. Usability is about how human beings perceive, think and act, and about how system works, and how we can fit them together. Usability methods can be applied to anything people use: from a kitchen sink to a television set, from a revolving door to a computer system or a web page.

In particular, usability measures how much a system is:

• easy to learn efficient to use easy to remember how many errors (and which kind of errors) users make when using it
• how pleasant or satisfying is using the system.

The job of usability engineers is to measure the usability of a system and to make recommendations for improvement. Applying usability methods when developing a system can save a lot of money and can make a casual browser a return customer. Usability Testing holds the promise of immense project cost savings and better results, leading to better client satisfaction and loyalty. The value proposition of Usability Testing is extremely compelling. The most successful businesses on the Internet are the ones with excellent usability. It’s no coincidence. Better-designed sites enable people to work with greater speed, recall, accuracy, and comfort. These qualities, when taken together, make up the usability factor.

Think of how many times you’ve visited a website only to encounter a confusing or unclear set of navigational controls. If finding what you want takes too many steps or is too complicated, you’re inclined to give up or look elsewhere. Perhaps you’ve experienced the frustration of trying to order a website online, and not being able to find what you want or being uncertain as to whether or not your credit card was accepted. Problems like these are usually traceable to the overall usability of the website.

BijouMIND Design can suggest some ways you might conduct tests to measure the usability of your site. We can help you the kind of data you should collect, how many test subjects you need, and make recommendations based on the findings from the testing.

Usability Engineering In The Website Development Lifecycle

BijouMIND Design employs a wide range of usability methods to help clients make a useful and usable website. During initial design, we conduct needs finding research, interview users in their work environment, establish user requirements, perform competitive analysis and task analysis.

During implementation and testing, we perform usability tests employing scenarios, mockups, paper and automated prototypes, and thinking aloud protocols.

During evaluation, we perform benchmark tests, gather feedback through field observations and check for compliance with standards and guidelines.

Different organizations have different levels of commitment and experience with usability. After working with many organizations, BijouMIND Design has adapted methods so that appropriate levels of resources and timing are applied. We also guide and mentor usability programs so that our clients can continue to apply usability methods.

Usability Testing is an essential but widely overlooked tool for creating best-of-breed Internet projects. Usability Testing significantly enhances the cost effectiveness and efficiency of development resources and results in websites that match the needs and expectations of the end user. Usability Testing can also play a critical role in creating lasting client relationships, as it is a catalyst to ensuring that sites 'hit the mark' the first time.

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