Recently, usability testing proved indispensable on an eCommerce site we are currently working on. It helped us to shed detailed knowledge of what the site is intended to do, and how we had arrived at our designs. Users who tested our site, clearly and efficiently exposed some of our expectations of the site and of users to be unrealistic.
User testing is effective for two reasons:
- It removes the burden of knowledge, experienced by everyone working on the project. and
- It offers a sample of typical users capabilities, expectations, and mental models.
Removing the burden of knowledge
When working on a project of any kind, the team members amass detailed knowledge about what the website is supposed to do, and what technical methods might be used to achieve those goals, not to mention the emotional attachment to the process and the output. This makes it difficult to critically evaluate the work once complete. If you already know what it is supposed to do, then during any test, you will skim over or ignore issues with the logical flow, interface, instructions etc. Obviously this is a major problem with teams testing their own work, in that the site must be evaluated for any and all flaws in its ability to meet the business, and more importantly users’ goals.
User testing with a small group of people who are not connected or associated with the design / development team is the solution to bringing an unencumbered mind to do the evaluation.
User Sample
Although user testing is done in small groups you can select the participants to reflect the broader audience so that you don’t skew the results. If the majority of the group can complete the tasks set out in a good test, then it is confirmation that the artefact or site in question is well designed. If there are issues in completing the task, then these areas must be addressed to ensure the user can complete the task. Many things can contribute to a user not being successful in completing a task or understanding the site for example: language, cultrual background, compueter/ internet experience, eyesight, etc
The Project
The site we tested is a new eCommerce concept for one of our clients. It is not your run-of-the-mill site with a few new bells and whistles, it’s a whole new way of thinking about connecting stock with customers at the right price. The design phase of this project was paramount because we needed to create new ways of interacting which meant a range of new user experience challenges that we had not faced before with a typical eCommerce experience.
The Test Lab
We ran a full day of testing where we saw 10 participants come through. A range of demographics except sex, in this case they were all male which is the target market.
Key tasks were asked of the users and we closely monitored their actions such as:
- Whether the task could be completed
- How long it took to complete the task
- Where the user looked before successfully finding the feature they were looking for
- Whether the tools were being used correction and to their full potential
- Whether users were reading the microcopy or interacting based on cues from the layout alone
Outcomes
This test was very successful in that it provided some key learnings to be synthesised into solutions and worked into the designs. The key finding was that although we included clear information about how the unique buying process worked, that information was not well enough translated into the interaction artefacts. We were able to quickly distil the results and articulate the changes that would ensure the site would work for the user, the way it was intended.
What benefit of User Testing was at play here?
Removing the burden of knowledge was definitely the benefit for us. We had worked long and hard on the designs and had left out some key information at the important decision points on the site. We had the concept and the visual design right, but our assumptions were still bridging those little gaps, which proved to be big roadblocks for the users.
The site is currently in development including the refinements from user testing, and should be due for launch in around 4 weeks.
Written by:
Mike Biggs
User Experience Designer
@MetaMikeBiggs