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User testing involves observing people while they interact with a given design, either performing predefined tasks, or reacting to specific aspects of the design. The goal is to find any barriers to usage that are inherent in the design, as well as opportunities for design enhancements.
Practical, Quick, and Cost-Effective
Usography has conducted user tests for small companies as well as some of America's largest companies. As a result, we have been able to streamline the user testing process so that it is as quick and as inexpensive as possible, while achieving the objectives of the project at hand.
Usography advocates a series of small user test sessions at various stages throughout design and development, rather than one large usability test sometime near the end of design. A series of smaller tests gives your team incremental feedback that can be readily acted upon, rather than a single huge list of usability problems. It also tends to be more cost-effective, because the test script can be re-used.
Basic User Testing Package
Usography’s most basic user-testing package involves the following activities:
- Ramp up
- Write test script
- Recruit and schedule users
- Conduct any number of test sessions within a specified period of time
Usography works with companies or third party agences to recruit users according to a pre-defined screener, which is based on demographics, purchase habits, job roles, etc. Usography works with clients to generate a list of high-value tasks for users to complete during the test. If necessary, Usography can generate a more comprehensive user research protocol with a variety of performance metrics . As long as the same test script is used, additional tests can be run for a single low fee based on the number of participants. Usography schedules the users and conduct the tests. Clients have the following options for viewing the sessions:
- In the session itself
- At a distance over the web
- On video recordings of the testing session
Clients also have the option of requesting a DVD of session highlights, which is helpful for viewing key moments of the test sessions with team members and/or stakeholders.
Recruiting of Participants
Usography has recruited a wide variety of participants for the purpose of testing design work.
Usography always uses the most cost-effective means of recruiting appropriate for achieving the objectives of the test.
Sometimes it is necessary to recruit participants with specific professional backgrounds. For example, Usography has conducted user research with flight attendants, customer service representatives, shipping clerks, Human Resources professionals, corporate managers and executives, and IT professionals, among others. On other occasions, participants were recruited and screened according to specific attributes, e.g. users of specific cellular carriers, people with limited computer experience, career seekers, etc.
In cases where personal attributes of users are less significant, for example when testing design prototypes to get early warning of major usability issues, Usography has easy access to students at the University of Georgia, who are usually available on short notice.
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