# Presentation: 411389

## 

Usability Testing Approach
usda.gov

September 2003

**Usability Testing Approach**
***usda.gov***
- September 2003

## Agenda

**Overview**
**Usability Testing Plan**
**Next Steps**
**Question and Answers**

**Agenda**

## What is Usability?

***Usability is the overall measurement of the satisfaction of interactions a user has with a product or system such as a Web site, software application, mobile technology, or user-operated device***
**A high level of satisfaction occurs when users find a Web site that is useful and usable; this is termed an “engaging user experience”**
**Quality of the user’s experience on a Web site can be measured using the following usability principles, or heuristics:**
- Use a simple page design
- Know your users and speak their language
- Ensure consistency throughout the site
- Design your site for efficiency and ease of use
- Provide an engaging experience
- Support the user and provide feedback
- Use a clear navigation structure
**Usability becomes increasingly important as more and more information, products, and services become available through electronic means**

## Why is Usability Important?

***An engaging user experience on a particular Web site results in increased usage of that site, improved user productivity, and reduced training, support, and development costs.  There is always room for improvement...***
**The average usability test results in 70-100 recommendations for improvements.**1
**Users cannot find the information they seek on Web sites 60% of the time leading to wasted time, reduced productivity, increased frustration and loss of repeat visits and money.**2
**95% of users will use less than 5% of features of a site; 75% of the features will never be used.**3** **
**In private industry, 62% of online shoppers gave up at least once while looking for products.**4
**For every $10 spent defining and solving critical usability problems early in development using professional usability research, you will save about $100 in development costs.**5

- 1  Mary Harrison, Richard Henneman, and Louis Blatt, “Design of Human Factors Cost Justification Tool”
- 2  Nielsen Norman Group, “Usability Return on Investment”
- 3  MauroNewMedia, Charles Mauro
- 4  Internet Access in U.S. Public Schools and Classrooms, National Center for Education Statistics
- 5  MauroNewMedia, Charles Mauro

## Cost of Usability

***Research has shown that the value of implementing well-executed usability testing far outweighs the investment***
**Current best practices and industry research call for spending around 10% of a project’s budget on usability**
**The cost of usability does not increase linearly with the size of the project, as there are several reusable and ‘fixed’ elements in the cost**
- For a large project, the total percentage of the budget that must be devoted to usability is reduced
**The cost of a usability effort is usually attributed to:**
- Work effort for User Experience team members
- User Experience Architect
- Usability Specialist/ Assistant
- Expenses for Usability Testing
- Facilities and equipment
- Participant recruiting
**Because the gains from user experience improvement are so much larger than the costs, industry analysts believe the allocation of budget to usability will increase in the future to 20% or more.**1

- 1  Nielsen Norman Group, “Usability Return on Investment”

## Usability at USDA

***Many USDA agencies already include usability as a key component of their Web design and development activities  ***
**RMA conducted extensive audience analysis studies as well as usability testing of their Web site and Web-based applications**
- Created a conclusive usability report that summarizes results of recent usability testing sessions
- Audience assessment of key user groups is currently underway
**ERS studied its audiences and continues to measure usability and customer satisfaction on its Web site**
- Developed “user personas” for each of the agency's most important user groups
- Is using Web satisfaction surveys to determine user preferences and areas for improvement
- Usability testing is planned for future site enhancements
**Other relevant audience studies have been completed throughout the Department to better understand our users: **1
- eGovernment Readiness Assessment (OCIO)
- eGovernment Marketing and Grower Relations Assessment (OCIO)
- Commodity Market Information Portal Customer Analysis (OCE)
- and more...

- 1  These materials are available on USDA’s eGovernment site at: _[http://www.egov.usda.gov/intranet/usabilitystudies.htm](http://www.egov.usda.gov/intranet/usabilitystudies.htm)_

## Agenda

**Overview**
**Methodology**
**Next Steps**
**Question and Answers**

**Agenda**

## Methodology

***The usda.gov design team will conduct usability testing to ensure the design is effective in meeting the needs of our users.  We will follow a consistent methodology that is based on best practices***

## Gather Inputs

***Test planning will be conducted in accordance with the usability objectives outlined by project stakeholders***
**Define the scope of usability testing and document test objectives****	**
- Focus on the most important functionality/scenarios
**Determine participant profiles**
- Consider USDA’s broad and diverse user audience
- Select user types to participate in the tests, from the following:
- Producers
- Agribusiness and Cooperatives
- Educators and Students
- Rural Community Members
- Families
- Conservationists and Landowners
- Researchers
- Members of the Media
- USDA employees
**Determine test format**
- One-on-one interview sessions led by a test facilitator
- Test results documented during each test, and compiled following all test sessions

## Prepare Test

***Testing materials will be prepared in advance by the usability team.  The test should be structured in a way that allows participants to assess the site’s ease of use, look and feel, and content structure ***
**Create recruiting guide and recruit users**
- Screening criteria are documented for test participants
- Participants are recruited by an independent market-research agency
**Create test materials**
- High-level test scenarios are selected based on user intentions and content/service needs
- Test scripts show a user’s path through the system
- Consistent standards are set to facilitate test sessions for all participants
- Consistency results in higher-quality results
- Includes instructions, test scripts, and anticipated questions and answers
**Conduct trial session**
- It is recommended that the facilitator conduct one or two trial sessions to ensure proper flow of test scenarios
- Updates, if necessary, are made to the final scripts

## Execute Test

***Usability test sessions will be conducted in Accenture’s Interactive Design Group (IDG) testing facility, located in Reston, VA  ***
**Tests are scheduled for the week of October 20, 2003**
- Testing will occur over a span of three days
- Approximately 18 participants will be tested
**A typical day of testing includes:**
- Introduction and welcome (30 minutes)
- Pre-session briefing (5 min)
- 6 test sessions (1 hour each)
- Debrief following each test session (10 minutes)
- Final summary and prioritization of usability issues (30 minutes)
**Test participants are monitored throughout each session**
- The participants’ actions are observed by the test facilitator and members of the design team
- Comments from the participant and usability issues are documented by the test observers
- All team members and stakeholders are welcome to attend and observe test sessions

*A test facilitator leads each participant through a series of predefined scenarios*

## Produce Outputs

***Following usability testing, usability issues and associated design recommendations will be documented, prioritized, and presented to stakeholders***
**Compile test data**
- All usability issues are documented and categorized in a spreadsheet
- Design recommendations are proposed for each usability issue
- Usability issues are assigned a level of priority
**Create presentation**
- A presentation is created to deliver usability results and recommendations
- This presentation focuses on high-priority usability issues, and provides visual depictions of proposed design changes
**Deliver results**
- Results and recommendations are presented to project stakeholders
- Design team makes necessary updates to the design templates and the UI style guidelines document
- Possible changes could include color scheme, navigation elements, site structure, or language.

## Agenda

**Overview**
**Usability Testing Plan**
**Next Steps**
**Question & Answer**

**Agenda**

## Next Steps

**Obtain stakeholder approval on usability test approach by September 24****th**
**Finalize participant profile by September 26****th**** **
**Initiate recruitment of usability test participants by October 1****st**
**Prepare test scripts and other materials**
**Attend sessions scheduled for the week of October 20****th****  **

## Agenda

**Overview**
**Usability Testing Plan**
**Next Steps**
**Question & Answer**

**Agenda**

## Question and Answer