The tasks in a usability test are realistic activities that the participant might perform in real life. They can be very specific or very open-ended, depending on the research questions and the type of usability testing.



Tasks

The participant should be a realistic user of the product or service being studied. That might mean that the user is already using the product or service in real life. Alternatively, in some cases, the participant might just have a similar background to the target user group, or might have the same needs, even if he isn’t already a user of the product.

Participant

In this usability-test session, the participant sits on the left, and the facilitator sits on the right. The participant uses a special testing laptop, which is running screen-recording software. The laptop has a webcam to capture the participant’s facial expressions and is connected to an external monitor for the facilitator. The facilitator listens to his feedback, administers tasks, and takes notes. The photo captures the moment after the participant’s task, when the facilitator is asking him followup questions.

Usability Test Setup

The facilitator guides the participant through the test process. She gives instructions, answers the participant’s questions, and asks followup questions.

The facilitator works to ensure that the test results in high-quality, valid data, without accidentally influencing the participant’s behavior. Achieving this balance is difficult and requires training.

(In one form of remote usability testing, called remote unmoderated testing, an application may perform some of the facilitator’s roles.)

Facilitator in Usability Testing

A usability-testing session involves a participant and a facilitator who gives tasks to the participant and observes the participant’s behavior.

Rutgers University

"It focuses on people and their tasks, and seeks empirical evidence about how to improve the usability of an interface."

Usability Testing

Usability Testing Methods

Tips for Moderating Usability Testing

Reasons for Usability Testing

Core Elements of Usability Testing

In a usability test, the facilitator gives instructions and task scenarios to the participant. The participant provides behavioral and verbal feedback about the interface while he performs those tasks.

Usability testing: Flow of Information

Usability testing can be either qualitative or quantitative.

Qualitative usability testing focuses on collecting insights, findings, and anecdotes about how people use the product or service. Qualitative usability testing is best for discovering problems in the user experience. This form of usability testing is more common than quantitative usability testing.

Quantitative usability testing focuses on collecting metrics that describe the user experience. Two of the metrics most commonly collected in quantitative usability testing are task success and time on task. Quantitative usability testing is best for collecting benchmarks.

The number of participants needed for a usability test varies depending on the type of study. For a typical qualitative usability study of a single user group, we recommend using five participants to uncover the majority of the most common problems in the product.

Qualitative vs. Quantitative

Remote usability tests are popular because they often require less time and money than in-person studies. There are two types of remote usability testing: moderated and unmoderated.

Remote moderated usability tests work very similarly to in-person studies. The facilitator still interacts with the participant and asks her to perform tasks. However, the facilitator and participant are in different physical locations. Usually, moderated tests can be performed using screen-sharing software like Skype or GoToMeeting.

Remote unmoderated remote usability tests do not have the same facilitator–participant interaction as an in-person or moderated tests. The researcher uses a dedicated online remote-testing tool to set up written tasks for the participant. Then, the participant completes those tasks alone on her own time. The testing tool delivers the task instructions and any followup questions. After the participant completes her test, the researcher receives a recording of the session, along with metrics like task success.

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