Usability testing
Why do testing?
Usability testing:
- Is good at identifying problems experienced by real users actually using your Internet, Intranet or web application.
- Is more likely than other evaluation methods to identify major usability issues.
- Gives you an accurate and objective assessment of your site or application.
- Decreases your development time and costs by testing sites or prototypes early.
- Minimises risk, by identifying issues pre-release.
With reasons like this, the questions is really why don't you do testing?
What and when to test
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Why Peak Usability?
Experience - Peak Usability has experienced usability testers with hundreds of hours of test experience and experienced interaction and interface designers so we don't just highlight usability problems but also tell you how to fix them.
Our own centrally located testing centre - Our comfortable and professional testing centre in our centrally located offices accommodates observers and an informal, non threatening atmosphere for test participants. We capture screen and video records of the sessions to provide you with the evidence you need to make the changes needed to your site.
Field based testing - If it is not practical or useful to test at our offices we can come to your users. This makes it time effective for end-users, we can test with your users' own technology and settings and gather contextual information from the user's environment.
Client office based testing - Peak Usability can bring our testing suite to you! We can test your intranet or internal applications and can potentially provide screen and video capture to observe and record test sessions (subject to IT systems and support available).
Queensland and Australian government knowledge and experience - Peak Usability is familiar with Queensland government CUE web standards and our QLD government agency solutions are CUE compliant. We are also a Queensland Government GITC V5 accredited business (Term Agreement Q-3106) and an Australian Government Endorsed Supplier under the Commonwealth Government's Endorsed Supplier Arrangement (ESA).
Our team has completed lab and/or field based testing for companies and government agencies, including:
- TAFE Queensland
- GIO
- Dept of Education, Science and Training
- Residential Tenancies Authority
- Brisbane City Council
- QLD Emergency Services
- State Library Queensland
- QLD Department of Employment and Training
- Bank of Queensland
Focal point for industry - Peak Usability offers training and knowledge sharing that taps our expertise in usability and UCD and promotes best practice actively in industry groups such as CHISIG, part of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia. We are proud to be a member of CHISIG and the Usability Professionals' Association and follow their Code of Professional Conduct.
How much will it cost?
Usability testing does not have to be expensive. We have developed a range of fixed price testing services to make testing more affordable. Testing early can also save on your development costs.
Fixed price usability testing packages:
- Consultation with clients or call centre staff and writing of up to 20 scenarios common to your users
- Use of our state of the art testing centre and facilitation services
- A detailed test report with issues rated by severity and design recommendations
- Presentation to management and staff including video footage of key users and recommendations
Optional testing services including:
- Creating test prototypes or mock ups for testing
- Recruiting representative user participants from our databases or from specific target user groups
- Travel to users' own environment to conduct field usability testing
- Travel to our client's offices to conduct in-house testing for Intranets and applications that cannot be tested externally
- Focus groups with stakeholders, staff or partners