Usability
testing of
websites
and applications
Testing and usability research of applications, websites, and online stores involving users.
We specialize in usability research and testing of websites, online stores (e-commerce), applications and systems
As part of our projects (e.g. corporate websites, applications), we carry out usability testing as an integral part of the design process.
We evaluate previously created prototypes as well as their beta and production versions (published resources).
If your project is relatively complex or is a typical startup project (unique, new), then user testing will certainly
provide additional validation - it can confirm the validity of investing in specific solutions or encourage changes.
What do you gain by testing a prototype, beta version or production version of an application
- You learn how your customers think, what they need, what motivates them (the result of quantitative and qualitative research).
- You receive feedback on two levels – (1) in the context of user interface (UI), as well as (2) business-related. Users are objective, and 10-15 people can certainly identify most problems (according to research conducted by J. Lewis, R. Virzi and J. Nielsen, T. Landauer) and indicate areas that distinguish the project.
- A usability report contains a description of problems as well as ways to solve them – design recommendations.
- TTesting a high-fidelity prototype allows for precise validation of specific ideas and solutions without significant financial investment.
- Creating a new space for discussion about improving the product or service.
- As a result, you save time, money, and direct your team's energy in the right direction.
Reports from usability testing / research
As part of testing prototypes or final versions of websites/applications, we collect quantitative and qualitative data.
By combining these two perspectives, we can present reports in an expanded or simplified version.
Basic version of the report
Based on the data obtained during the testing of a prototype, beta version, or final version of an application, we provide reports that include:
- Identification of the main problem areas (such as difficulties in using certain parts of the application) documented in the form of screenshots, videos, and a detailed description.
- Determination of the weight (significance) of the identified issues.
- Proposed solutions identified by the users themselves or our project team.
- Source material from the study (videos, survey results).
Expanded version of the report
Based on the methodology of reporting scientific research and experiments, modeled on the CIF (Common Industry Format) standard. It consists of the following elements.
- Research topic.
- Research questions.
- Research plan.
-
Methodology description
- research procedure
- description of research tools and techniques used
- task list
- survey copies
- usability metrics for problem identification
- Presentation of quantitative data (tables, graphs).
- Commentary on quantitative data.
- Presentation of qualitative data.
- Summary of qualitative data.
- Recommendations for changes.
- Conclusions.
Below we present selected screenshots from an application enabling professional usability testing (both desktop and mobile).
- The user is informed about the purpose of the study, confidentiality rules (use of data), and other important formal-ethical issues.
- Before starting the testing of a website/application, users fill out a pre-survey (basic metric data).
- After providing their responses, the screen automatically switches to task execution mode. In addition to recording on-screen activity, we also record audio ( "thinking aloud").
- Typically, each task is assigned a final conversion, which indicates whether the task was completed (success) or not completed (failure).
- After the respondent has completed or interrupted a task, the system can display questions related to the specific task. In practice, this is used relatively often because evaluative questions (Likert scale) asked after completing all tasks can cause "memory haze", making it difficult to obtain unambiguous data.
- We also use open-ended questions. In this case, the respondent can provide a detailed written response or provide it verbally (voice recording).
- After completing all tasks, we use a survey questionnaire with the use of a selection scale, closed and/or open-ended questions.
- After completing the last activity, such as filling out a survey, the data is saved to the server.
In the case of testing websites or mobile applications on smartphones or tablets, the process looks similar.
To start with, you need to install a special plugin (application) from Google Play that allows the user's browser to connect to our server application, similar to the desktop version.