Measuring Usability

Usability testing can measure a range of factors as you design or redesign a website.

Factors Measured in Usability Testing

The most common factors measured in usability testing include:

• Effectiveness: a user's ability to successfully use a website to find information and/or accomplish tasks
• Efficiency: a user's ability to quickly accomplish tasks with ease and without frustration
• Satisfaction: how satisfied the user is with site
• Error frequency and severity: how often users make errors while using the system, how serious the errors are, and how users recover from the errors
• Memorability: a user’s ability to remember enough to use the site effectively after his or her first visit

Data Found in Usability Testing

Usability tests can capture two types of data.  Quantitative data notes what actually happened.  Qualitative data describes what participants thought or said.

When you have gathered your data, use it to:

1. Evaluate the usability of your website
2. Recommend improvements
3. Implement the recommendations
4. Re-test the site to measure the effectiveness of your changes