Today we are going to do a usability test, we are continuing from last week

Crowdsource usability testing

Crowdsource usability testing is when a large, diverse and global group of real users test a product’s usability and provide feedback under real-world conditions

Kyle recommended using something like Maze for this

The pros of crowdsourcing are:

• Speed: Tasks can be completed much faster due to the large number of testers working in parallel, enabling faster feedback loops for development teams.
• Cost-efficiency: Often cheaper than hiring and managing an in-house testing team, as you only pay for the testing performed, not salaries.
• Device and platform coverage: Gain insights across a massive and diverse range of devices and platforms that would be impossible to replicate with a limited internal team.
• Flexibility: Easily scale testing up or down based on project needs, paying only for the services you use.
• Real-world insights: Get feedback from real users in their natural environments, which helps identify practical usability problems and unmet needs.

The cons:

• Instruction clarity: Without direct interaction, instructions must be extremely clear and unambiguous, as there is no opportunity to provide real-time clarification.
• Ensuring quality: Some testers may not be fully engaged or may try to complete tasks quickly without giving thorough feedback. This requires designing tests to minimize insincere participation and potentially employing quality control measures.

Eye tracking

Eye tracking is when the computer looks at someones eyes and displays where they’re looking at, Following the trail of where they are looking.

It can pick up certain things like someone struggling to see something. It is a measurable behaviour: data, numbers, images and video. It provides clear data

When is eye tracking valid?

• Measuring cognitive load: Metrics like pupil size, fixation time, and blink rate are valid indicators of cognitive load in complex tasks like driving, programming, and online learning
• Assessing visual abilities: Eye tracking is a reliable method for assessing visual acuity, visual parameters, and ocular motility in individuals with conditions like cortical visual impairment
• Research and design: It is useful in psychophysical studies to understand how perception and attention relate to eye movements, often being more appropriate than manual responses for certain participant groups