What is user testing in interface design?
User testing
User testing refers to making the end-users of an interface perform actions on it and evaluate the design. The testing can be done on a prototype, a feature, or the deployed system's final interface. In user testing, the end-users use the interface in actual conditions and analyze the negatives and positives of the design. User testing gives an insight into the end-users point of view, which can be incorporated into the interface design.
Why is user testing useful?
A designer can never be sure the design will work perfectly. The users' feedback can be predicted, but the predictions can never be entirely correct. Therefore, testing the interface from the users' perspective before deploying it is vital.
User testing allows us to do this. Without testing, there is a probability that the designer might have missed out on some critical aspects of the interface design. Sometimes, the design team finds a specific design element excellent. However, the users might have a different opinion, and in interface design, one should always consider the users as correct.
User testing methods
User testing can be performed in several ways. Some of the methods include:
How is user testing different from usability testing?
Usability testing is frequently confused with user testing. However, there are significant differences between them. Usability testing is just a user testing method, whereas user testing is a broader process involving other techniques.
Moreover, usability testing focuses only on evaluating usability. Usability constitutes only part of the user experience but it's not the whole experience. On the other hand, user testing involves assessing everything that contributes to an interface's user experience.
User testing process
The following steps are involved in the user testing process:
Create the test object: This step requires coming up with the interface prototype or feature on which the testing has to be performed.
Decide the method: The method for user testing should be chosen based on what kind of responses are required and how quickly they are wanted.
Recruit users to perform the test: Actual and potential users of the interface should be approached for user testing. An appropriate number of test subjects should be chosen.
Determine test location: The place where the testing will be held is decided. It can either be on-site or from the comfort of the users' homes.
Conduct the test: The test is executed using the chosen method.
Evaluate the results: The responses from the test are analyzed, and decisions regarding the interface design are made keeping them in mind.
