Usability Testing and Implementation (HW) - Research Paper Example

Usability Training and Testing Introduction One reason the usability aspect of a site is often neglected is the cost it could harm a budget from conducting usability tests. True, usability is often misconstrued as usability testing per se (Rhodes, 2005). More often than not, some corporate players pay no heed to a site’s usability wherein such situation could lead to more fatal losses. In the process, they may find themselves figuring out what could have gone wrong and eventually, may shut the site down.

While it is true that usability tests are often costly, some companies could not just ignore the players in user interfaces (UI): the developers, designers, and most importantly the users. These three players co-exist for good site usability.Training and TestingJohn Rhodes’ (2005) point about usability training over testing is promising for companies who have been depending and investing too much on usability tests, more so, for those companies which choose to neglect usability. He had a matter-of-factly statement that instead of hiring usability professionals which may cost them $35, 000 half a day, a company may rather invest in training designers and developers about the whole usability aspect.

Usability is not just an aspect of selling a site but a series of operations (Rhodes, 2005). From there, designers and developers may be able to integrate the knowledge gained from the training into the course and duration in structuring and designing a site (Rhodes, 2005). However, this train of thought actually eliminates the importance of usability researches needed for the usability in huge user-centered interface designs where average people are the end-users. More so, heeliminates the fact that users are the ones affected of either good or bad usability – not the creators.

Users should at least have a say, if not the last. Usability tests may be equally important to usability training. The former involves users. The latter involves creators. Dumas and Redish (1999) summed up five attributes to which all usability tests have in common: 1.) the aim to enhance of product usability; 2.) participation of end-users; 3.) involvement of actual tasks; 4.) evaluation of what participants do and say; 4.) analysis of data and diagnosis of the problems; and 5.) recommendation to fix problems.

In short, they offer how significant a user’s opinion may be in formulating an extensive solution. This though, doesn’t hand over the benefit of usability training, where it makes jobs easier and fast for creators. According to Nielsen (2009), usability methods that matter aren’t hard to grasp. Designers and developers, themselves, for instance could conduct user testing which is a basic usability activity. This is also a good utilization of what they learned from their usability training.

With small-time projects, the usability team doesn’t have to ask for opinions from usability experts, making it cheap (Nielsen, 2009). However, with big projects involving a general audience, it may just be another story. ConclusionHow to go about a user-centered site design is a crucial process if the company means serious business about its site’s usability. It may perform both usability training and testing to get to the bottom line. Usability training helps creators learn about existing usability issues, or know how to conduct right tests at right times (Human Factors, n.d.).

Usability testing, on the other hand surely gives users quality site exploration. ReferencesDumas, J., & Redish, J. (1999). A practical guide to usability testing. Oregon: IntellectLtd. Retrieved July 16, 2010, from Google Books: http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=4lge5k_F9EwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=usability+testing&hl=en&ei=Dcw_TM-LIIHovQP25pXWDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=falseHuman Factors International. (n.d.). Practical usability testing. Retrieved July 16, 2010,from http://www.

humanfactors.com/training/usabilitytesting.aspNielsen, J. (2009). Anybody can do usability. Retrieved July 16, 2010, from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/anybody-usability.htmlRhodes, J. (2005). Investing in usability: Testing versus training. Retrieved July 16,2010, from http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/investing_in_usability_testing_versus_training