Usability Testing

[chette]

Hello fellow Filipinos! Hope I can pick your brains here. I was wondering how you guys handle usability for your clients?

I'm a big fan of usability, though I don't agree with all of Jakob Nielsen's ideas, you get the picture. I'm wondering if we can improve on how we do things in our company.

Even before coding begins, with the help of the client, we start developing the information architecture, site structure, and menu system with usability in minds. Right after the entire testing process (culminated by System Testing), we go thru this process we call Usability Testing.

We usually invite 10 to 20 people, based on the target audience the client submitted during requirements gathering. (Yes, I know we should invite more people as testers, but these are a big drain on our resources.)

Anyhow, these "testers" and their facilitators are placed in a computer laboratory. Each tester picks an index card with a task, and the facilitator takes note of the time it took the tester to go thru the task for the first time. After the round of tasks, they are asked to go thru each task again, and the all the facilitators take note of the time (data for "easily learned" criteria).

We go thru Usability Testing simultaneously with the UAT. The results are submitted to the client. Client has the option to submit change requests based on the results of the Usability Testing (and of course the UAT), as long as we consider it "minor." But that's another story.

How do you go about yours? I know there are a lot of other options available in conducting these tests, but I would like to ask about your experiences. The best advice I've received are not the ones from books and web resources, but from people who actually practice these things (real world experiences). Thanks in advance.

[aldrin]

Aside from us, our clients usually do the usability testing. I don't know how they conducted it. Hmm.. most of the time, I asked my online friends to do the testing. In my case, I received different kinds of feedbacks. That's it..

Naligaw ba explanation ko? 

[ultimoAdios]

Ang masabi kong Po
Pag ang sopweyr ay yosabol
Itoy may ability
Pag walang ability
Ito ay di yosabol
Sa testing pa lamang
Bagsak na dahil ika nga
Bulol!