Thomas Murphy

An element of software quality often overlooked is the issue of usability.  With internal applications you train users on the process to follow and this may make up for a world of ugly.  The web has changed our perceptions and devices and Apps will continue to drive home the need to deliver applications that are intuitive and efficient.  However, usability isn’t just something we ignore, it is something for which most companies are ill equipped to perform.  Part of this is skill and part of this is tools. 

There are many ways to go about usability testing and many new tools are appearing to aid with performing more effective tests.  Examples include UsabilityTesting.com where crowd-sourcing and video capture is employed and www.optimalworkshop.com where a set of tools are offered to gain insight into customer patterns.  But you can’t just go after these tools, skills are required which either means gaining them internally or hiring consultants.  A great blog post on the challenges of usability testing we published recently by Extractable on avoiding pitfalls.  If you are working on a Testing COE, consider the need for skills in usability as something that should be on the map and the path to skills or relationships you will use. 

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Category: Testing Usability     Tags:

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