The Ultimate Guide to Usability Testing Techniques Method

Irrespective of your role in the production team, you may have heard about usability testing. Perhaps, it is the most accurate and the cheapest way to get insights about User Experience (UX). And there are different types of usability testing techniques, which in-house teams or usability consultants perform. We have created this post as your ultimate guide to knowing those techniques. But before starting our guide, we want to briefly talk about the following:

• Structured vs. Unstructured Usability Testing
• Reasons to Perform Usability Testing

Structured vs. Unstructured Usability Testing

Here is the difference between structured and unstructured usability testing:

Structured Usability Testing

Structured usability testing entails the use of a predefined set of questions and tasks. And it aids researchers in gathering specific data (feedback) before product or service launch in a controller environment.

Unstructured Usability Testing

Unstructured usability testing entails the open-ended exploration of user behavior and pain points. Further, it entails the use of less rigid tasks and questions. Often, it aids researchers in getting richer qualitative insights. However, data analysis becomes more challenging in this format.

Reasons to Perform Usability Testing

We have summarized below the reasons to perform usability testing as a bulleted list:

• Usability testing helps prevent internal debates with UX decisions based on reality.
• It provides you with insights irrespective of the product development stage you are in.
• In addition, it helps you avoid bias in decision-making.

Your Guide to Different Types Of Usability Testing Methods (Techniques)

Now, let us start our ultimate guide on different types of usability testing methods or techniques:

Moderate Usability Testing

It refers to a technique when a moderator, such as you, conducts a usability test with users. You can conduct this test in real-time either in-person or remotely on a video call, for example. The benefit of this technique is that it allows you to ask questions or clarify things with users. In addition, it allows you to ask more interview-type questions. Regarding user needs, behaviors, and motivations, for instance.

However, moderate usability testing is not without a downside. That is, it is quite time-consuming to perform, requiring your availability for each session.

Unmoderated Usability Testing

Unmoderated usability testing is a technique when you send relevant participants to conduct a written test. Through a platform, like UserTesting, to take that test, which you have written in advance. In fact, there are many usability testing tools like the one we have mentioned already. UserGuiding and Lightster, to mention a few more.

The core advantage of unmoderated usability testing is that it is a lot faster. However, the drawback is that it limits your ability to ask questions to your participants in real-time.

Simple Usability Testing

It is a technique that involves giving a series of tasks to users. In order to take users through a flow or utilization of a product feature. Product teams often perform this simple yet clean form of testing. They conduct it at some point in a moderate or unmoderated usability testing process.

Moreover, the core advantage of simple usability testing is that it lets you uncover usability problems. And from the perspective of real users, of course.

Five-Second Testing

It refers to a method whereby you show users a landing page or a homepage for five seconds. Then ask users to share their impressions about that page. And what they have noticed. It is a handy technique when your team is looking for the first impressions closest to the new UX as possible. And you can perform it fast and remotely, which is its primary advantage, too.

However, five-second testing does not allow you to explore the following things:

• User Attitudes Toward Functionality
• User Experience in-Depth in Terms of Features and Flows

Card Sorting

Card sorting is an extremely powerful technique provided that it aligns with your research goals. Researchers provide users with cards with words on them to conduct it. They ask users to group or order those cards in the manner that makes the most sense for them. A practical example of this technique is grouping features in a toolbar. What’s more?

You can perform card sorting in an unmoderated or a moderate setting. Further, you can choose this method when information architecture (organization) is your goal.

First-click Testing

First-click testing is not only a technique. But also a test in and of itself. In this method, the moderator or testing instructions direct users to complete a task. What’s recorded or noticed with user clicks in the first place completes the task. First-click testing helps you check whether the user experience is intuitive for a specific task or not. Further, it is handy when you are conducting a usability test that entails giving multiple tasks to users.

Navigation Testing

Navigation testing is not only a part of more detailed usability testing. But also a test within oneself. In this method, users need to complete a given task or goal within a business or your product. It helps you notice how users navigate to complete various tasks and learning. Irrespective of whether or not the information architecture within your product is intuitive for test participants.

Preference Testing

Put simply, it refers to giving users variations of something. Different designs or functionality, for example. In this test, you ask users to indicate and explain their preferences. The key to conducting this testing is to carefully pay attention to the reasons behind user preferences.

Moreover, you can conduct preference testing either in-person or remotely. Not to mention, doing it remotely saves you time and effort.

Tree Testing

Tree testing is the test to discover the specific topics or features on your website or a product. Also known as reverse card sorting, tree testing is different from navigation testing. Participants are shown on the navigation tool only, like a website header, for this test. Then they are asked to find specific topics or categories. You can conduct tree testing face-to-face or remotely.

To Wrap up

Hopefully, you have enjoyed reading this post on different types of usability testing techniques.