ATEC 3361 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Web Design, Usability Testing, Test Plan
25 Apr 2018
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The idea is to place users in front of some version of the software under test and watch how these users try to use it. Can be expensive depending on what tasks you have users try and on what you are watching for. Not cost-effective if done too late in dev cycle. Can uncover usability problems that design guidelines and inspections may have missed. Formal testing might entail building a usability testing lab, equipping it with an array of computers, audio-video equipment, then staffing it with psychologists, technicians, and human-computer interaction specialists. Informal approach: no fancy lab or expensive equipment. A simple test plan and task list are prepared, notepad and pencil. The advantage is that informal testing looks at what people actually do when they are doing real work in an ordinary setting. For simple testing, prepare a list of questions. For more detailed testing, have a script prepared.
