Usability Testing of Applications

Hi,
I have been wondering how to author this blog for Usability Testing of Application. It takes immense pleasure in recollecting my past experience of testing various applications for Usability. Here I go, let’s get started from scratch.
Usability: Is one of the quality factors which ensure the application is ease of use, user friendly and rich in GUI(Look and Feel).
Usability Testing:
Testing carried out to ensure the best usability of the application is called Usability testing.
Types of Usability Testing:
1) GUI Testing
2) User Documentation testing
GUI Testing :
Definition: Testing the attributes and properties of all the objects in the page or application is called GUI testing.
Description: Every Object has it’s own attributes and properties which uniquely identify or differentiate it from other. Hence these attributes are to be tested as per the expected behavior.
Following Defined UI Standards is very important aspect in testing for the UI of application. Example UI Standards are IBM UI Standards.
The UI Testing Strategy is to test each and every screen as follows,
1) Start from the top left corner of the page towards the right corner
2) Check the properties of the objects as expected on the way
3) Continue to the same with the hole screen till the right bottom corner of the page
Control Matrix is to be referred for attributes of objects which identify/differentiate themselves from other objects. Attributes differ from object to object and between same/multiple objects in the page. Hence UI testing requires at most presence of mind which can uncover priority issues from applications. I would say an Eye of a Tiger can catch issues better than our normal eye.
Sample Control Matrix is as follows,

The above example provides only very few attributes drafted in the control matrix, all the attributes supported by the objects are drafted in the control matrix. Referring to the Control Matrix and implementing the above strategy UI testing is performed.
Example: Typical Login Screen with Username, Password, Sign-in and Forgot Password
User Documentation Testing :
Definition: Testing the directional text or help content of the pages is called User Documentation Testing.
Description: Information which leads to information (Meta Data) is very important deliverable to the end user. Hence ensuring its quality is a priority task. Usually Text Comparisons tools to cross check the information provided by client (base lined information) and text displayed in the application are used. Other than that User documentation testing involves checking the
1) Images
2) Formatting of text(font, borders, panels, sections)
3) Paragraphing
4) Indentation
5) Hyperlinks
Example: Testing the login Screen Help Content, which opens in a new window/same page.
Advantages:
1) Usability as a Quality factor can be addressed
2) Priority issues if identified early will save time, cost and effort
Disadvantages:
1) Implementing the above process is going to be no easy task
2) Requires lot of effort and dedication from QA personnel

1 member likes this

Comment

You need to be a member of Quality Testing to add comments!

Join Quality Testing

Comment by Chethan.H. on August 23, 2011 at 2:15pm: Thanks a lot for providing this much information....keep up the gud work....

you are awesome siddiq!!!!!!

Comment by Chandan Pandit on May 23, 2011 at 11:51am: Good one Abu

Comment by vara on May 11, 2011 at 8:57am: Thank you siddiq..

Regards,

Prasad.

Comment by Ajay Pardhi on March 21, 2011 at 10:59pm: Thanks lot abu!!!

Comment by Raja Sekhar Pavuluri on February 25, 2011 at 3:09pm: Thanks Abu Bakr Siddiq

Comment by Anuradha on February 10, 2011 at 10:22am: Hi Abu,

Thanks for your immediate reply.I am new to this field.From sf.net I installed Tux paint software for practising testing practically.I am checking each and every buttons in the tool bar whether it functions as per their documentation.Is this GUI testing?I found some bugs also.I would like to share those bugs with some senior like you to check whether I am doing in a right manner.Please help me.

Comment by Venkata Arun Kumar on January 4, 2011 at 4:07pm: Hi Abu,

Thanks For the Information.

Comment by Ravi M on September 28, 2010 at 12:28pm: Hi siddiq, It was nice meeting u here,
Can u provide ISTQB material for manualtesting ....
mudhapati.ravi@gmail.com