User testing is the mainstay method when it comes to finding usability problems.
Nothing is more convincing than watching person after person encounter difficulties
with the same part of a software or information system. The difficult areas
that repeat themselves between multiple test participants reveal areas that
should be studied and changed by the developers. User testing can often uncover
very specific areas needing improvement, where focus groups and task analysis
often find more general areas needing improvement.
A trained observer conducts user testing often with the assistance of software
developers. People who are representative of the target audience are asked to
perform representative tasks with the software. The observer writes a user testing
report listing the problems and offering recommendations based on their findings.
|
