Gourt > Computers > Human Computer Interaction > Companies and Consultants > Usability Testing
Usability testing is a means for measuring how well people can use some human-made object (such as a web page, a computer interface, a document, or a device) for its intended purpose, i.e. usability testing measures the usability of the object. Usability testing focuses on a particular object or a small set of objects, whereas general human-computer interaction studies attempt to formulate universal principles.
If usability testing uncovers difficulties, such as people having difficulty understanding instructions, manipulating parts, or interpreting feedback, then developers should improve the design and test it again. During usability testing, the aim is to observe people using the product in as realistic a situation as possible, to discover errors and areas of improvement. Designers commonly focus excessively on creating designs that look "cool", compromising usability and functionality. This is often caused by pressure from the people in charge, forcing designers to develop systems based on management expectations instead of people's needs. A designers' primary function should be more than appearance, including making things work with people.
Simply gathering opinions on an object or document is market research, rather than usability testing. Usability testing usually involves a controlled experiment to determine how well people can use the product. 1
More on [ Usability testing ]
Web Usability :: Web Design and Development
usability testing is apparently not required for hospital entrances
biju_ska (ã¹ã«ã¬ã¼ãªã¼) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:17:57 -0000
usability testing is apparently not required for hospital entrances
Usability & User Experience Testing Tool http://bit.ly/506aCr
easability (qurie de berk) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:51:31 -0000
Usability & User Experience Testing Tool http://bit.ly/506aCr
Why you should stop losing money and start usability testing your website with real users. http://tinyurl.com/lcvzus
needmoneycom (needmoney.com Blog) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:50:17 -0000
Why you should stop losing money and start usability testing your website with real users. http://tinyurl.com/lcvzus
RT @iconshock: @r27 Check out this post - Best ways to perform web usability testing http://rt.nu/a2uj1c
r27 (Rajesh Pancholi) Thu, 24 Dec 2009 21:43:35 -0000
RT @iconshock: @r27 Check out this post - Best ways to perform web usability testing http://rt.nu/a2uj1c
Why you should stop losing money and start usability testing your website with real users. http://tinyurl.com/lcvzus
needmoneycom (needmoney.com Blog) Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:26:14 -0000
Why you should stop losing money and start usability testing your website with real users. http://tinyurl.com/lcvzus
Interesting looking usability testing tool. http://icio.us/msqpcn
telbel (telbel) Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:57:55 -0000
Interesting looking usability testing tool. http://icio.us/msqpcn
Adage - Providing usability services such as heuristic evaluation and usability testing. Located in Finland.
Meta Description: [ Adage supports its clients in usability engineering and product development ]
Afflatus Inc - Evaluation of usability, information architecture, and the accessibility of sites. Located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Alertus - Automated feedback system for collecting Web usability and performance data. Located in Washington, USA.
AlliedTesting - An outsourcing company specialising in testing of on-line applications and web sites.
Meta Description: [ Software testing and quality assurance company offers a range of outsourced QA and testing services, including regression, functional, compatibility, integration testing and test automation ]
AltTags.org - Website usability and accessibility consultants.
Bolt and Peters User Experience - A user-centered design firm specializing in remote usability testing and ethnogaphic research. Located in California, USA.
Meta Description: [ Remote Usability Testing and Ethnio brought to you by Bolt | Peters ]
Breakthrough Usability, Inc. - User research, heuristic reviews, low-fidelity, high-fidelity, metric, and summative testing for critical path, fast-time-to-market projects that target high returns. Located in Florida, USA.
Bunnyfoot - Offers usability evaluations for online applications. Specialized in accessibility for speech browsers. Includes articles. Located in the UK.
Meta Description: [ Eyetracking, usability testing, user centred design and accessibility consultancy - Bunnyfoot. Site provides details of our services, information about bunnyfoot, and a range of articles and demos on usability. ]
Easyenough.com - Usability testing services from small, San Luis Obispo, CA based consultancy.
Meta Description: [ Easyenough.com is the usability consulting firm helping lead the new revolution in making the users needs applicable in the software design lifecycle. ]
First Insights - Offers usability testing, interviews, ethnographic studies, focus groups and heuristic analysis. Located in New York, United States.
Meta Description: [ First Insights specializes in usability testing, web site usability evaluations, Internet market research, heuristic analysis, online focus groups, user interface evaluations and ethnographic research>
Gokin, Paul - Offers usability evaluations of Web sites and applications. Author of Interface Design for E-commerce Applications. Located in Vermont, USA.
Meta Description: [ PaulGokin.com - Strategic web usability services: usability inspection, usability testing ]
HowsMySite - An independent website assessment service that evaluates and reports on the overall effectiveness of content, design and use.
Meta Description: [ Web marketing experts for companies that need professional advice and results. Complete service - design, copywriting, site critique, marketing, SEO ]
HT Consulting - Provides usability assessment (such as expert reviews and user testing) of web sites, software, documentation, and computer-related hardware. Located in California, USA.
Meta Description: [ HT Consulting helps clients assess and improve the usability of their web sites, software, and documentation -- making them intuitive and easy to learn, as well as efficient and pleasurable to use. ]
IQ Intelligent Internet: Smart web usability services - Provides companies and government organisations with usability testing evaluation. Located in Woden, Australia.
MicroUsability (Singapore) - User experience testing, consulting design. Offices in Singapore, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates Vancouver, BC.
Meta Description: [ Experience the magic usability. We can help you create products that your users will love. Based in Singapore, we design usable intranets, websites, kiosks, etc... ]
Millennial Living - Resources for web usability and e-Government. Based in Arlington, VA
North Square - Offers Web site evaluation reports based on navigation, design, content and strategy. Located in Wellingborough, United Kingdom.
Meta Description: [ North Square Interactive is an online consultancy delivering best practice website evaluation, usability and accessibility reports; functionality and load/stress testing and more. ]
RelevantView - An online market research service to aid in concept testing and website usability testing. Tracks customer opinion and behavior to measure, analyze, and improve customer experience and expectations. Located in Connecticut, USA.
Meta Description: [ RelevantView. The dynamic web site usability testing lab that puts you in control without browser restrictions or special downloads. ]
ResearchHouse Usability Facility - Unique, usability testing facility built into a home setting. Can be used for testing consumer appliances, hardware and software products.
Site Report - Provides feedback on Web sites using a panel of Internet users. Sites can be analyzed for usability, design and performance. Includes a FAQ and a tutorial.
Meta Description: [ Site-Report will help you realise the potential of your web site and increase your return on investment. Our visitor-centric web site analysis and usability reviews focus on editorial content, usability, design, SEO and marketing. ]
SiteTechnician - Website testing and diagnostic services to identify usability problems and improve the user experience. Located in Colorado, USA.
Meta Description: [ SiteTechnician provides website performance, website testing and website evaluation solutions. SiteTechnician can help you improve your website's quality ]
Siteusability.com - Providing site audits and reviews, search engine placement reports, and specialised usability services for web sites. Located in the UK.
theSiteDoctor.com - Provides website evaulations and usability testing.
Meta Description: [ A business website evaluation or website appraisal combining usability testing and sales conversion best practices can improve your bottom line. ]
uLab Participatory Design Associates - Provides in-person and remote usability testing, field studies, customer interviews, task analysis, and participatory design for software, web, and consumer product development. Berkeley, CA, USA.
Meta Description: [ uLab | PDA provides contract user research and user-centered design services for web, software, mobile application, and consumer product developers. Our
services include participatory design, contextual inquiry, usability testing, and advice on constructing usability labs. ]
Usability Reviews - Offers reviews and testing, with a focus on e-commerce. Based in Washington, USA.
Meta Description: [ SEOmoz, a Seattle-based search engine optimization company, serves as a hub for search marketers worldwide, providing education, tools, resources and paid services. ]
UsabilityEffect - Web site usability testing, newsletter conversion checkups, shopping cart functionality self-study courses. Located in PA.
Meta Description: [ Affordable web site design improvement and usability reviews
and site audits. ]
UsabilityReviews.com - Offers Website optimization services. Located in Ontario, Canada.
Meta Description: [ Web site optimization means eliminating online frustrations or confusion. It includes web site usability testing, an expert homepage review or intranet audits. Learn from Arnold Schwarzenegger's website in our article about the California Recall election. Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ]
User Vision - Offers usability and accessibility consultancy services for web sites, software and products. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Meta Description: [ User Vision is a consultancy dedicated to improving the user experience of your website, software or product. ]
UserMetrics - Offers to test web sites on people and applies insights from cognitive science for usability problems. Located in the United Kingdom.
Meta Description: [ Is your site failing? Let us measure and improve your return on investment by usability testing your site with real people, and applying cutting-edge insights from cognitive science. ]
VisitorFriendly.com - Assesses the visitor friendliness of your website, using real internet customers as paid reviewers. Located in the UK.
Meta Description: [ website evaluation and online web surveys, omnibus surveys, from Visitor Friendly in the UK. Custom web research and survey solutions. ]
Web Critiques - Providing web critiques highlighting the good and bad points about a web site as well as techniques to fix them. Located in England.
Meta Description: [ WebCritiques.net tells you how to make your website more profitable. Choose from one of our reports to see how you can improve your website. ]
Web Scrutineer - Provides website testing for businesses and web developers.
Meta Description: [ Website testing, analysis, optimisation; Web Scrutineer. Providing website testing, document testing, web analysis, search engine optimisation, web site usability testing, search engine submission. Checking web sites and web documents. ]
Web Usability, the Rightway - Providing web site usability evaluation services. Located in Pennsylvania, USA.
Meta Description: [ USABILITY: Usability problems solved. A usability study will give you a more user friendly website. ]
WebCriteria - Provides services that objectively evaluate and compare web sites. The behavior-based SiteProfile provides automated services that measures and compares website usability. Located in Oregon, USA.
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WebCritica - Offers services to evaluate web site usability and gives recommendations how to make sites easier to use.
Meta Description: [ web usability evaluations to improve the user experience ]
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