10. Usability Testing

If a product is being built according to the specifications of its customers, but without considering the context, how they are going to use it, and other necessities related to usability and UX (user experience), the users still might not fall in love with it. (Gasp!)

There are specific experiments (tests) that put the focus on finding certain user interaction problems with the system, so that in the end, the team can make it easier to use and more intuitive. An indicator that usability is poor is when a user asks for a manual to learn how to use it.

Perhaps the most popular material in this respect is everything provided by Jakob Nielsen with his heuristics for analyzing different typical usability characteristics and problems. As a part of ongoing testing, teams should consider conducting such tests frequently, either by applying these heuristics manually and individually, in groups, surveys, or using tools to run some tests even in production, or in a beta version aimed at a small group of users.

Moreover, don’t forget an associated quality factor known as accessibility.

In this case, accessibility refers to how easily someone with a physical disability can interact with a software product. It is highly beneficial to design it in a way that it is compatible with other tools that the physically impaired use such as Voice Over, Switch Access or Switch Control, etc.

Not only does accessibility impact the physically impaired, but everyone. Whether someone is trying to use an application in low lighting or with just one hand, they will benefit greatly if the app is designed with accessibility in mind.

Plain and simple, accessible design is good design.

There are many tools that facilitate this type accessibility analysis, from the W3C to some simpler and newer ones like Pa11y. Read more about how to set up tests with Pa11y in CI here.

To ensure user loyalty and satisfaction, it’s important to consider how easy and enjoyable it is for users to interact with your software. Mature testing organizations that use CI will have tests in place to account for this aspect of their software.