In this article, we will present you with best practices and examples to successfully pass these tests , while taking into account the specific issues of different communities. Note that we will focus mainly on three main areas: accessibility, eco-design, and the needs of specific users.
One person is doing a user test on a mobile phone and 2 people are monitoring the use of the interface
How is user testing important in designing quality digital services?
As you may have understood from our introduction, user testing remains the best solution for evaluating the usability of a system, provided that it is carried out by experts trained in the different methods. Indeed, this research strategy , which consists of observing people using your interface in real conditions , allows you to design digital services that are truly adapted to the needs of your community. Ease of using the features, degree of ability to find information, search time required to find the element concerned, etc., all essential information to better understand your different audiences.
User testing is all the more important for communities that must adapt to different audiences and reach the right conclusions. Because from digital service designers to those responsible for each project, everyone often has difficulty taking the necessary step back. After all, their expectations, behaviors or even vocabulary differ drastically from those of real users , knowing that there are already significant disparities between each user (senior, young, company, individual, tourist, civil servant, etc.).
For all these reasons, user testing is essential to confront your design and vision with the real uses of your community. On this occasion, you will not only be able to better identify what works well in terms of user experience, but also identify friction points upstream . There is no better solution to detect a good part of the potential usability difficulties and areas for improvement.
Let's also not forget that user testing is economically advantageous. By observing users in real conditions and having an objective view of their needs, operating methods and difficulties, you can validate or modify certain aspects of your digital project before moving on to the development phase . It goes without saying that this way you avoid costly ig database adjustments once the product is finalized.
Good to know : User testing is used to evaluate usability , a concept defined by the ISO 9241-11 standard as the ability of a system to enable the user to perform their task effectively, efficiently and satisfactorily in a specified context of use.
Of course, be aware that user testing, like UX design, is an iterative process. It is specifically the feedback from participants, themselves future users of the service, that allows you to make improvements throughout the project and adapt the design to the real needs of your different audiences.
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How to optimize accessibility with user testing?
We don't need to tell you that since 2012, public sites and communities have had to comply with digital accessibility standards . And since 2019, they have been required to publish an accessibility statement and display, from the home page, their compliance with said standards. In the event of difficulties, users must be able to contact the site managers. Otherwise, they have the option of contacting the Defender of Rights. Suffice to say that it is necessary to conduct serious user tests.
