5 Tips on How to Assist User-Participants during Usability Testing

A usual practice for a good software testing company is conducting usability testing involving end-users. One of the methods to improve software testing process is assisting users by giving them gradual hints or prompts along the way.

Why Is This Technique Used?

• In order to conduct usability testing of a software at an early stage of its development. If the usual testing session presupposes the usage of certain documentation or wizards, but none have yet been developed.
• In order to see how many support materials the product will need and how quickly users will master the offered software.
• In order to conduct a small user interface testing: too see how self-evident the interface is.

The Benefits of the Offered Technique:

• You can get direct feedback from the user as for the quality of the offered interface and the needed supporting materials.
• The testers are able to trace usability problems.

5 Tips on How to Assist User-Participants during Usability Testing:

1. At first let the participant try to perform the offered testing tasks involving no assistance. When he/she faces a certain problem, you should give verbal explanations.

    

2. The participant should receive ground explanations as to what the testing session looks like, what it involves and what you plan to see as a result of it.

    

3. The developers or other specialist responsible for design and/or documentation can be offered to view the process of usability testing in order to better understand what users want.

    

4. Do not use this technique during all the process of software testing. You only need it to check how much assistance should a user get together with the product. Use other methods for other usability purposes.

    

5. Keep track of all the user actions and reactions, this is the real evidence on how a user will behave with your software in a normal life.