User-Centric Design Mastery: 4 Innovative Usability Testing Techniques

No matter whether you offer a straightforward gaming product or an intricate enterprise-grade site, users are the be-all and end-all of your product life cycle. An optimal method to make your IT solution favorably accepted by the target audience is to equip it with uncluttered and easy-to-grasp and navigate UI and valuable functionalities. And the best course of action to ensure this is opting for a robust technique for usability testing. In this piece, we’ll be discussing four rewarding usability testing techniques that push the boundaries of user-centric design and thus, contribute to attaining exceptional user satisfaction and enjoying lucrative returns.

The role of usability testing in achieving user-centric designs

User-centric design refers to shaping wireframes and prototypes that place the longings and imperatives of consumers at the forefront. Conducting usability testing is absolutely essential to achieve this effect. 

People-oriented design principles are focused on formulating solutions based on the inclinations and reactions of audiences. This suggests looking into the clients’ environment and aspirations and devising products that will be congruent with them.

It is no wonder that, to boast these uncomplicatedness, coherence, inclusivity, and consideration of tangible pain points, an app or a website need to be continuously perfected and upgraded through robust usability testing methods. These rely on the tastes, life experiences, and impartial viewpoints of actual consumers shared when envisioning digital products.

Usability testing in software testing implies fashioning a functional prototype first that is, in fact, a practical demonstration of the app, and encouraging consumers to engage with it to accomplish target actions. In this manner, designers get a chance to oversee and log behaviors like their remarks, keyboard entries, mouse movements, etc., and uncover both shortcomings and potential for enhancement.

Types of usability testing methods vary based on the project’s objectives, resource limitations, and the target market. The major ones encompass:

• In-person testing when the needed activities are performed in the presence of a developer,
• Remote testing when, on the contrary, web-based instruments and software are involved,
• Automated testing when dedicated scripts are employed that comb through the programs in development replicating user inputs and looking for inconsistencies,
• Expert review when systems are scrutinized by a developer who subsequently suggests refinements with the employment of UX conventions and norms.

Let’s delve into proven usability testing techniques that are employed by trusted developers to test and try the fruits of their labor.

Technique 1: collaborative design thinking

This tactic comes down to resolving a design puzzle through the joint efforts of the members of a multidisciplinary group. Further on, this input is leveraged in mock-up elaboration and validation. The deliverables can include both actual and digital mock-ups, draft sketches, and other prototyping methods.

Integrating collaborative design thinking into usability testing

This technique allows elaborating truly user-fueled products as it’s founded on such building blocks as consideration, inventiveness, and continuous improvement. To bring it to fruition, compose a group of sundry specialists who are attuned to the needs and preferences of customers. This can consist of software engineers, QA specialists, designers, various kinds of managers, and so on.

Harnessing the power of diverse perspectives for user-centric designs

This technique merges contrasting outlooks to foster groundbreaking concepts. When woven into diverse usability testing methods, it allows you to uncover distinct usability drawbacks and bring about apt resolutions.

People with multifaceted encounters are the ones who nurture a tapestry of viewpoints. These are not only designers and QA engineers themselves but also coders and, of course, end-users.

How can you reconcile the miscellaneous opinions in such a congregation to develop original conceptions? Look for an accomplished QA testing company that encourages the strengthening of Agile and Scrum mindsets within the departments, which means that they foster a collaborative spirit and transparent dialogue. In this environment, productive problem-solving and proof-of-concept workshops are common. The yielded piece integrates the usability testing benchmarks, persona sketches and contexts, usability limitations, and other insights to reinforce project congruence.

Real-world examples of collaborative design thinking in action

The following brands have shown their ways of nimbly accommodating app features to fulfill client expectations.

In particular, after conducting usability testing, Airbnb has enacted some beneficial features like ‘Instant Book’ that provides a booking functionality for listings without a preliminary host endorsement. The feature considerably increases the platform’s convenience.

IBM, another world-renowned behemoth, has leveraged this technique, among other tech initiatives, to engineer an ophthalmologic solution for remote patient care. 

Lastly, IDEO, an outstanding creative company, largely relies on persona-driven design in its projects. For instance, in their development that serves for water purification in underserved areas.

Technique 2: gamification in usability testing

This method turns usability testing in software testing into a captivating and gripping journey. It implies the incorporation of interactive mechanics, e.g. tokens and scores, to awaken the spirit of discovery in QA engineers and drive them to execute assignments while having fun and commenting on quality. 

When your company plans for usability testing steps, how can gamification be adopted?

Transforming user feedback collection with gamification

You can variegate classic polling with engaging features or even transform them into elaborate tailored-fit contests. It’s even viable to reproduce realistic circumstances to gauge an offering in a scalable, configurable, and verisimilar context.

Increasing user engagement and motivation through game elements

With interactive elements that imply attaining goals through play, even ordinary actions metamorphose into immersive pursuits. For instance, one can accumulate tokens when attaining designated assignments or presenting astute remarks. These incentives foster a feeling of accomplishment, empowering the participants to take the necessary usability testing steps with increased dedication.

Success stories and lessons learned from gamified testing

Duolingo, a widely esteemed polyglot learning tool, is a standout case of adeptly performed gamified testing. Sundry motivational features like ranks, ramified scoring systems, and completion trackers prompt players to accomplish vocabulary drills.

Weebly, an outstanding site builder, infused gamification into their prototype testing to pinpoint concerns and struggles associated with their sites, as well as zones for betterment. The contestants were to execute certain activities, e.g. setting up a web presence, in exchange for credits.

Technique 3: remote usability testing

This technique exploits the potential of value-driven and time-saving digital instruments for off-site assessments. The leverage of screencasting, web conferencing, and dedicated software broadens the reach of participant selection irrespective of their whereabouts. 

The rise of remote usability testing and its advantages

Conducting usability testing off-site is normally economical owing to lowered environmental and hardware expenditures. It also diversifies the participant base and, correspondingly, their contributions. The elasticity in timetabling contributes to the enhanced involvement of individuals. Some also think that in this way, your company is most likely to receive sincere opinions as survey participants feel comfortable and relaxed in their habitual surroundings.

Implementing remote testing for enhanced user-centric designs

Diversified testing groups that are, in addition, far-flung, suggest that the UI and functionalities are examined within a miscellaneous group. This gives a product better chances for an intuitive and aesthetically pleasing interface. 

Best practices and considerations for remote usability testing

To boost the efficacy of your efforts, consider adhering to the following recommendations:

• Pick optimal software, e.g. UserTesting, UserZoom, Validately, etc.
• Enlist well-matched candidates that not only epitomize your market representatives in full but also possess the requisite knowledge and background.
• Configure the essential environments to furnish the QA engineers with explicit guidelines and ascertain the accurate functioning of the entire ecosystem.
• Observe volunteers’ actions and responses and scrutinize the output to ascertain performers’ inclinations and guide and shape subsequent releases.

Technique 4: mobile usability testing

This process is indispensable in our epocha of never-before-seen mobile possibilities. It refers to gauging the user-friendliness of a product on a plethora of mobile gadgets with diversified display characteristics and under sundry connectivity parameters. 

The unique challenges and opportunities of mobile usability testing

The principal confrontations that one faces when rolling out these checks are:

• Confined display capacity necessitates tailored-fit verifications, 
• Differing OSs, tap and swipe motions, dedicated testing instruments, etc. entail specific, sometimes rare skills, 
• One should reckon with encountering unique features like geolocation, biometric verification, etc., and being prepared to leverage them,    
• One should be able to extract insights from mobile analytics to recognize interaction patterns and build on them,
• Lastly, mobile verifications grant testers wonderful liberty in completing assignments without interruption from their work or leisure, for instance, at a cafe, on their way to studies, and so on.

Techniques and tools for conducting effective mobile testing

Peak efficacy in enhancing UX is attained by the following means:

• Conspicuously expressing the objectives to zero in your efforts on the pertinent things,
• Handpicking devices that are aligned with your clients,
• Opting for a robust testing platform, e.g. Appium, TestComplete Mobile, Firebase Test Lab, etc.,
• Securing responsive design in software,
• Mastering app sandboxing to reenact its activity in diverse circumstances,
• Introducing solid metrics, e.g. task performance metric, duration, defect percentage, etc.

Case studies illustrating mobile usability testing impact

Airbnb, among other inspiring examples, managed to streamline browsing across its platform and trim away excess elements by capturing user input in the app. As a consequence, their booking platform heightened convenience and gained traction.

Walmart refined its checkout by eliminating issues such as hurdles in inputting data, protracted loading, and convoluted menu traversal. Thus, their team trimmed down the transaction flow, shrank file extents, and propelled sales.

Slack augmented its search capabilities and shortened click pathways by enlisting audiences to try out the features and offer their reactions to them.

To wrap up

Mastering diverse types of usability testing for enhancing an IT solution’s look and feel and tailoring them to your clients’ preferences are easily brought to fruition through co-creative teamwork, gamification, off-site evaluation, and handheld device app verifications. These strategies have their merits and obstacles and are intended for amplifying user involvement with the app’s aesthetics and functionality. Their choice depends solely on your project’s particularities. To handpick the best-matching means, it’s advisable to turn to an accomplished IT company such as Andersen for expert solutions.