Usability Testing Services
You can always learn a great deal about your users when you observe them doing typical tasks and listen to what they think
What is usability testing?
Usability testing is the activity that focuses on observing users working with your product, performing tasks that are real and meaningful for them.
In-person, moderated usability testing can take place in a usability lab or conference room, or remotely via conferencing software like Zoom.
Remote mobile usability testing can capture and record your users as they engage with your app on their mobile device.
Unmoderated usability testing can be done using a software platform like usertesting or userzoom.
The goal is to identify potential usability problems and fix them
Fixing usability problems early on in the design process can save you time and money by avoiding costly redesigns later on.
UX Firm offers a full range of usability testing services, from early-stage user research to in-depth analysis of user behavior. We have the tools and experience to help you create a user-friendly product that meets your users’ needs.
Our usability testing services include:
- formative usability testing during development
- A/B testing to compare design approaches
- Summative usability testing when the product is in pre-release (Beta)
- Human factors validation testing of medical devices
- Recruiting participants
- Reporting results, recommending data-driven actions
Each stage of the usability testing process is important, and we take a holistic approach to ensure that your product reflects your users' experience.
If you’re looking for an experienced UX consulting firm, let's have an introductory conversation today.
Why should you hire an expert for usability testing?
Experience counts. We’ve got the expertise that comes from decades of doing many hundreds of studies. We bring our honed skills in moderating and logging sessions to ensure quality without introducing bias.
When you choose UX Firm for your usability testing, you get the experts, not junior staff assigned to your project who may or may not have the background or experience to do your study correctly.
Our methodology is based on Carol Barnum’s popular handbook on usability testing, the award-winning Usability Testing Essentials, now in a fully revised, updated 2nd edition.
Used by practitioners and students world-wide, Usability Testing Essentials presents a practical, step-by-step guide to learning the entire process of planning and conducting a usability test. It explains how to analyze and apply the results and what to do when confronted with budgetary and time restrictions.
When considering which UX research agency you want to work with, you know you'll be working with best when you choose UX Firm. Why? Because we wrote the book on usability testing!
Why should you do usability testing?
Usability testing is our most frequently requested service. Why?
Because a usability study can be as small or as big as your needs require and your budget allows. And because there is no substitute for learning from your users directly.
There is no need to have a finished product. Usability testing can be done at any stage of product development, so you can build user experience into your product from the very beginning.
And there is no need to do usability testing in a formal lab. Usability testing can be done anywhere, and it works great in a conference room or meeting room.
We are your partners in usability studies
Understanding your needs and goals is the start of our partnership. We kick off our engagement with a planning meeting to determine the specific requirements for your study. Working with your key stakeholders, we define the characteristics of your users, the tasks you want to understand, and the quantitative and qualitative feedback you want to receive.
We debrief on the findings together, at points during testing and at the end. This way, you walk away knowing exactly what your action plan is, prioritized on the basis of the findings.
Finally, we follow up with a report that details the findings, and we present the findings to your key stakeholders in whatever format is best for you.
Discover how your users feel about your product
We unlock how your users feel about your product with our deck of reaction words.
Using Microsoft's Product Reaction Cards in our studies unlocks your users' true feelings about your product. They select the cards that match their experience. Then they tell the story of their experience. You gain empathy about your users. The result is insights that show you how to build desirabilitity into your product.
Extremely high level of competence and professionalism
My company hired Carol to assist in a usability study for a conceptual mobile application. Carol was able to quickly get up to speed on the goals of the study. She was able to recruit a difficult segment of candidates, direct the team throughout the tests, all the while maintaining an extremely high level of competence and professionalism. Carol played a key role in the success of our study and I look forward to working with her again soon.
Matthew Perry
CEO, Mobients
FAQ’s about Usability Testing
What is an example of a usability test?
Our client had developed a software technology that improves the user’s music listening experience. They had a strong commercial client base, with the technology being used in sound systems in automobile entertainment systems.
They wanted to broaden their customer base to extend to retail consumers who would want to enhance their music listening experience on their mobile devices. But they didn’t know what the target users’ key motivating factors would be to adopt this technology.
How would they react to hearing their favorite music with and without the sound enhancement technology? Could they clearly tell the difference? What words would they use to describe their experience? Would they respond favorably to the technology- enhanced music? How much would they be willing to pay for the enhanced experience?
Key research questions
- Assess if/how the audio technology improves the listening experience and whether it meets expectations
- Gather user feedback on general look and feel + usability of the prototype; identify improvement opportunities
- Identify additional audio features or enhancements consumers would like to see to improve their listening experience (for future releases)
- Validate if the users see value being delivered by the product/technology and if they would consume music longer with this enhanced experience
- Identify key factors that influence users’ willingness to pay for a premium listening experience
Testing Scope and Methodology
- 14 participants
- One-hour sessions
- In randomized order, each participant listened to 3 songs in different music genres
- In randomized order, each participant used two different listening modes (medium quality headsets and high-quality earbuds) to listen to the 3 songs
- Participants were exposed to the onboarding information to learn its effectiveness and whether users engaged or skipped the onboarding information
- Participants engaged with the interface to understand its level of intuitiveness
Results
The client was able to learn what users want in onboarding (minimum text, engaging graphics), what changes would be needed to make the interface more intuitive, and, most important, how they felt about the product. They found it easy to use, high quality, effective, and innovative.
The client took the enhanced product to the Consumer Electronics Show and won an award for innovation!
Related Usability Testing Resources
5 Users is Enough for Usability Testing
This video explains how 5 users can be sufficient for usability testing when key elements of testing are in place.
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