This presentation looks at how to perform software usability tests on a budget. By ensuring that the software is easy to use, customer adoption increases. Not all companies are able to afford the time and monetary cost of formal usability tests, but there are ways to see the benefits of usability testing with a very small budget.

1. ON A BUDGET
ENSURING
USABILITY
tanzer.com
Elan Tanzer

2. Usability is the ease with which
a user interacts with software
tanzer.com

3. tanzer.com
Why Does Usability Matter?
• By designing something that is intuitive to use, the user doesn’t need to
contact support or read the manual
Designing for the user
• Changes to user interfaces late in the development cycle adds risk to
schedule slippage and costs more money in engineering and QA time
Preventing costly changes
• Most users don’t like using software unless it is on an Apple product. Easy,
fun software creates an emotional connection that is stronger than anything
you can create with good marketing and a lot of features
Making products fun to use

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When To Test For Usability
Sign off on
Market
Requirements
Specify
Functionality
Create UI
Prototypes
Usability
Testing
Begin Coding
Beta Test
Release

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Usability testing can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a
couple of months in preparation, execution and review
Performing usability tests early in the development cycle will
ensure that the UI design is right the first time.
Changes late in the product cycle require massive upheaval to the
code, introducing bugs and risking inconsistency in the user
interface layer
“We Don’t Have Time For Usability Tests”

6. tanzer.com
The way companies like Microsoft and Apple do it, yes.
• Two-way mirror for observation by engineers, Product
Managers and QA staff
• Dedicated Test Lab
• Mouse/keystroke recording
• Video Camera
But you can get great results from testing on a budget, too
• Sit next to tester
• Manually take down observations
• Use standard digital camera for recording
“Isn’t Usability Testing Expensive?”
> £10,000
< £2,000

7. tanzer.com
1. Choose core functionality to test
2. Create list of simple tasks for user to follow and
questionnaire
Open a file, edit file, insert image, export, print, save
3. Schedule a week of developer’s time to mock-up
interactive prototypes in HTML5 or UI Layer (might
require bribery)
Does not need to be functional, simply emulate specified functionality
4. Recruit typical users to participate
Newsgroups, personal network, former colleagues
5. Set up computer, camera on tripod in corner, one printed
version of tasks /questionnaire for each tester
Getting Started

8. tanzer.com
1. Usability tester arrives, sits at computer
2. Sit down with them and explain what you wish
them to do
3. The user should go through the tasks on their
own, with no instruction
4. They should speak aloud as they progress and
where they confused
5. After completing the tasks, have the user fill in
a questionnaire about their experience with the
software
The Actual Tests

9. tanzer.com
Usability testing is only as good as the analysis of the data
Reviewing The Results
HCI Designer Is the interface easy to use?
Developers Do the menu items and buttons need to be moved
or renamed?
Product Manager Did the users understand the product?
Are we on the right track?
Quality Assurance How much user interface testing will be required?
Support Where will we see a big support burden for ‘How-to’
questions?

10. elan@tanzer.com
Elan Tanzer
Tanzer Consulting
www.tanzer.com
How Can I
Help?