Just came across this great article about usability testing, which explains in very light hearted way why and when to do usability tests.
Following dugs post about the checkout and the poor conversion it currently achieves.. I though this was a fitting subject.
I wonder…
- How come we got the checkout (or all our three sites for that matter!) so wrong?
- Why have we ended up with such a dreadful designs?
- Were these designs never put through any tests? What bugs me, is not how bad some of the areas are.. but how we have not even got some of the basics right.
- Have we inherited a problem which is a result of a site(s) being designed without a UCD approach, and those designing thinking they knew what was best for our customers?
Have a read and lets have a conversation about how we can introduce usability testing as part of our design process, so that moving forward we are all working together in designing sites that our customers want and not what we think they want.
USABILITY TESTING: DON’T GUESS, TEST.
Remember, just because nobody complains, it doesn’t mean all parachutes are perfect. The same goes for web design; usability testing is often overlooked by clients and designers alike, but the value that can be gained from it is immense. People can find content, conversions increase, there is far greater customer satisfaction, and the whole site just looks that much more professional. So, where to begin?
As design professionals, it’s easy to sit in our ivory tower, and think everyone is as interested in design and technology as we are. The simple truth is most people don’t really put too much thought into what makes up a website, they just want good content and a site that works. Designers are often guilty of designing for themselves rather than a broader market who is not as in love with technology as we are. Remember the “what is a browser?” video from Google?