Usability testing when you have nothing to test

It does without saying that usability testing directly contributes to the success of your product/company. Usability testing should be done at all stages of product creation. Even just one usability test with just one user is better than nothing.

It happens sometimes that companies are well aware of the immense value of usability testing and are more than willing to do user research but they don’t have a product to test yet. It is very important to realize here, that even before your product is created it is even more important to test.?

Here are a few possibilities for usability testing:

• Old version of your product

If your company already has a website/app and you are thinking of redesigning it or adding extra features - definitely make sure to test beforehand. Adding new features should not be your end goal. A lot of features doesn’t equal good UX (in fact, sometimes it equals the opposite). You should strive to create features that add value to the customer. To make sure a feature is necessary and designed in a high-quality way - run a usability test to make sure you are on the right track. If it is a complete redesign that you are after - then most likely one usability wouldn’t be enough. You may need a few (along with some other research methods if and when applicable).

• Prototype (paper or digital)

Jumping into developing a new feature without testing it first is a big mistake. The best idea is to prototype that new feature and run a usability test or two to make sure that that feature actually makes sense and works well. Even if the prototype isn’t interactive/clickable you can get a lot of information while testing it. Does the software flow make sense? Does the new feature correspond to the users’ mental models? How would users go about completing tasks? Are there any places in the flow where users get stuck? Do the titles, link names, labels make sense to them?

• Direct competitor’s product

If you have a prototype then you could have your test participants complete the same tasks on your prototype and then on the competitor product/products. That will help you compare the experiences.

Testing a competitor website or app, when you don’t have your website or prototype yet, can still be beneficial. You can find out what your competitors do well and capitalize on that. You can also uncover the issues that might exist with their product and avoid making the same mistakes in your product.?

• Indirect competitor’s product

Even if your future product has no direct competitors, you could test the same products from other parts of the world or products from similar industries that do similar things.

Test similar products as soon as possible, even when your own product is just an idea or a bunch of rough sketches. You will learn a lot about your users’ goals, behaviors and context, the current problems they are experiencing and possible solutions for how you can help your customers solve these issues.?

In summary, by testing well before the product or its newest version is finalized we find out critical information (including uncovering possible issues) that can contribute to creating a smooth, pleasant experience for the users and a successful profitable product for your company.