Usability Testing

ERGOSIGN offers a balanced portfolio of various usability evaluation procedures and provides support in selecting the appropriate methods. A clear picture of a product’s usability is obtained by applying usability evaluation based on scientific methods and on best practice, and goal-oriented reporting.

Usability reports provided by ERGOSIGN comprise detailed suggestions for improvement, concrete options for a design revision and the documentation of usability obstacles.

Measuring Usability

We prepare test scenarios based on expert reviews and contextual analyses to map the expected usage of the system. The test scenarios are presented to representative test subjects in the form of a booklet. These scenarios are then worked through either in our usability lab or at any other place using our mobile lab. During the usability test, all relevant behavioral indicators and subjective impressions of the subjects are recorded and prepared for subsequent analysis.

At Verivox we focus on the users of our tariff comparison services. ERGOSIGN supports us very successfully in developing our consumer portal and in optimising its usability.

Thomas Stollberger, Head of Online Media, Verivox

Verbal comments (think aloud method), facial expressions and the gestures of the participants are taken into account as well as actions, navigational paths and reactions to erroneous behavior. This gives us a comprehensive picture of the user's perspective including the aspects of the system which were experienced positively or negatively.

Our Labs

Usability lab

ERGOSIGN's well-equipped usability lab is separated into a user and an observation room. Both rooms are connected via a one-way mirror. All user interactions, verbal comments as well as gestures and facial expressions of the participants are recorded by digital screen capturing (MORAE), remote-control video and log files for later compilation (e.g. as a Highlight-DVD).

Mobile lab

Mobile labWe can also conduct usability tests at other locations with our mobile lab. In this way, we can make use of equally high-quality equipment to analyze the usability of kiosk systems or control centers under real-life working conditions.

Testing mobile devices

Testing mobile devicesFor analyzing the usability of mobile devices like smart phones and PDAs, special equipment (e.g. a gooseneck camera) is used.  This enables us to capture the interaction of a user with the small display and input areas of these devices.

Test Variants

The standard repertoire is complemented by additional methods which can also be tuned to specific requirements. For instance, we use computer-assisted card sorting in order to define logical information architectures (IA). For special questions, we also use eye-tracking to analyze users' eye-fixations when interacting with a system.
User experience testing is a tool which sheds light on product usage and perception in a holistic way. That is, we look at pragmatic and hedonistic aspects of usage, including characteristics of product perception such as "security" and "robustness". User experience tests also enable us to predict the long-term acceptance of a product.

For guerilla testing, participants are recruited at short notice. The actual investigation is quick, less formal, and typically carried out in public locations with a portable computer and special software. This type of testing is appropriate if the categorization of test subjects is less important and the need for quick feedback is paramount. This method is often used in the early stages of development with subsequent follow-up tests.  
Overview of other methods used:

  • focus groups
  • semi-structured interviews
  • benchmarking (e.g. System Usability Scale)
  • interaction log files - quick checks for usability
  • competitive product comparisons