What is Usability, and what is a Usability Test?
Usability is a measurement of the ease of use of a given product from the client’s perspective. When Janastar tests typical end-users to see if the product is easy to use, designer bias is removed, and the halo-effect of providing a satisfying answer in front of the product manager is virtually eliminated. Usability testing may occur throughout the design and development phase, with Storyboards being a prime example. Further along, an assessment may be performed that can indicate large or small hurdles such as “show-stoppers,” must-haves (but can wait), or “nice-to-haves.” Cost of Poor Quality can be quantified so you can best determine the value of correcting the issue before launch. After launch, the product can be evaluated to determine its success, based on quantitative metrics identified prior to the product’s rollout.
