How a Usability Study Is Conducted

Your Team Is Involved Throughout the Process

A typical usability study involves a team consisting of Southern Polytechnic experts in a wide variety of fields, along with experts from your product development group. We firmly believe that your involvement is essential to help you get the most out of our services.

Through team effort, you get the test plan you want, your objectives are met, and you view the results first hand. Furthermore, your experience and expertise guide the discussion of product issues in structuring the test and analyzing the results.

Usability Analysis Methods

The methods for analysis that we can conduct are:

• Usability testing in all phases of product development
• Expert Review to identify usability guideline violations
• Cognitive walkthroughs to analyze learning issues
• Rapid prototyping of a specific design idea
• Feasibility testing and problem solving for a specific concern
• Research and development in specific human factors/usability topics and applications
• Site visits (contextual inquiry) for user requirements
• Focus group research
• Surveys (telephone, paper, or Web-based)

Results

Typical results from SPSU Usability Center analyses or tests include:

• Spreadsheet of findings for each user
• Summary report of the approach with results and recommendations
  » See a sample report
• Videotaped footage of participants
• Complete participant data files
• Optional video highlights in your choice of media and formats

» What makes The Usability Center at Southern Polytechnic unique?

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