Usability Testing How-To: What to Test and How to Test It

Two questions you should always be asking yourself while planning a usability test are what are you really trying to test, and what is the most reliable way to test it. Start by choosing a series of tasks which will require test subjects to use the most common and important areas of your site. From there, refine your task list based on existing knowledge of usability issues, the uniqueness of various areas, and the potential payoff of the test results.

Here are some quick tips for selecting what to test:

• Take a Task-Based Approach to Your Test
• Build on What You Already Know
• Focus on Common Tasks, Not Edge Cases
• Look For the Biggest Payoff
• Focus on Unique & Important Sections of Your Web Site
• Include Navigation and Labeling in Your Test