Usability testing is simply a method of testing your product, however with usability testing the benefit is that it is from the end users perspective and hence it opens an entire new level of feedback thus providing a chance to improve the product.

This is a user-centric interactive design testing of the product. This type of testing focus on the making sure the product lives up to its expectations. This means that the product delivers what it is meant to in terms of functionality and at the same time also passes the human (end user) interaction test.

The human computer interaction theories do apply to the usability testing to some extent and thus should also be taken into consideration

Significance of usability testing:

A web development project is usually the work of a development team in just about any decent Web Development firm and not the job of just one person. It can involve up to two web designer and several web developers and even involve a graphics expert. Since it is a team project and involves team work, the entire team will usually be geared up for the project and depending on the size of the project their entire thought process will revolve around matters pertaining to the project..

It is necessary to channel this enthusiasm and self motivation of development team in the right direction. A quick way of doing this is by asking yourself a few questions:

• Are we designing in the right direction?

• Have we interpreted the requirements in the right manner?

• Will our design decisions be received well by the general users (end users).

• Are we missing any key elements of the website?

• Are our design choices in best interest for the end user?

• Is the interface optimized for space and efficiency?

This is a stage where the development team is still highly motivated and by verifying the factors mentioned above and other relevant factors affecting your project it is possible for the team to carry on with confidence towards completing the website.

In addition to which doing a brief usability test at key milestones will make the development team more confident and also improve their ability to deliver a high quality product.

Methods of Usability testing:

Usability testing is all about creating a scenario or simulate a real like situation that could possibly occur and use the help of a person who is not concerned with the project to perform the tasks. At the same time the development team member needs to be present during this process, taking notes and making observations. There are several other techniques that can also be implemented as described below:

• Set of instruction and forms

• Pre and post test questionnaires

• Feedback forms for interaction of website

Such techniques are often referred to as co-discovery and eye tracking processes.

Thus the usability testing can be implemented in several ways like:

• Hallway testing: This is a simple and economically way of doing it which involves randomly selecting people of the street or passing by in the hallway to detect potential issues that may have been overlooked.

• Remote Usability testing: This is a method in which users located at a greater distance from your team, even in a different country can conduct the test via remote tools.

The feedback thus received from the usability tests conducted in such a manner help the web development team improve the product and make the necessary correction or changes.

Alakmalak delivers good quality and well testing web projects:

For those willing to be more creative and seeking a unique and innovative option, it is essential that they take extra effort to make sure the website that they are developing pass the usability test. Besides which it is highly beneficial in attracting more traffic too.

Not everyone is tech savvy and creative enough to be able to design a website that is keeping with the current trends and also utilize the new tools and elements of a language. Besides which the Websites these days also have that Social Media element that we have extensively discussed. Web Designers are a creative group of people who have the amazing ability to come up with great designs that can later be converted into a workable template for your website.

Alakmalak has had the good fortune of having the opportunity to create Web Designs for several firms across the world. They have now developed more than 2000 websites over the years for clients from all around the world. Hence it is safe to trust them when it comes to Web Designing for the current times.

• A Complete Guide to Usability Testing
• An Introduction To Website Usability Testing
• Usability testing helps make better websites