Usability Research & Evaluation
Methods for evaluating the usability of products and websites form the core of the user-centered design process.
- Expert Evaluation—Expert evaluation is a review of a product’s user interface by two or more usability experts.
- Usability Testing—In usability testing, people whose characteristics match those of the target audience perform a series of typical tasks, working one at a time under controlled conditions.
- Field Research—Field research takes place in people’s offices or homes, to study the context for their use of products, websites, and services, and where they can perform tasks using their own equipment and data.
- Focus Groups—Adapted from market research, groups of 6 to 10 people discus a focus topic and perform activities so researchers can learn their requirements and unmet needs for technology-based solutions.
- Accessibility Evaluation—Accessibility evaluation identifies areas where a website or software does not comply with Federal guidelines and international standards for ease of use by persons with disabilities.
Here are some considerations for selecting usability research and evaluation methods:
- Field or Laboratory Setting—Conducting usability research in users’ homes or workplaces lets us observe their natural behavior in context, but comparing performance among users can be more difficult. A controlled laboratory setting provides more comparable results, but may not reflect real-world experiences as accurately.
- Behavior or Opinions—Some methods focus on observing users’ behavior and measuring their performance, while others concentrate on collecting opinions and preferences. Most Tec-Ed projects collect both behavioral and opinion data.
- Qualitative or Quantitative Data—Qualitative data is more difficult to compile and analyze, but yields rich anecdotal detail that supports effective decision-making in design. Quantitative data provides performance measures that can often be extrapolated to the larger customer audience. Most Tec-Ed projects collect both qualitative and quantitative data.
- Users or Surrogates—Methods involving actual target users match real-world experiences more closely, but require an investment in recruiting and other overhead. Expert evaluations can identify many usability problems quickly, but surrogates can’t have the same experiences as actual users.