Stop ignoring the ‘too hard basket’ and get better outcomes through inclusive user testing
As more companies look to ensure that people with diverse needs can use their products, we UXers are challenged to broaden our testing repertoire. We could design and code an application or website to meet accessibility standards, we could factor for the ageing population and of course we’ve tested for general usability. But will it ACTUALLY pass the litmus test when it’s used by people with diverse needs i.e. people with vision, hearing, mobility and cognitive impairments?
As with testing for general usability, you won’t really know until you test your application with these users too.
This is a different ball game. There are special considerations for user and task analysis, recruiting, and data analysis when testing with a diverse user group. For a start, your test facility must be physically accessible and provide the required assistive technologies. But, usability testing with people with diverse needs can be accomplished with the same ‘discount’ methods that you may already be using. Your set-up is almost there. You just need a few tweaks.
The benefits of this testing extend beyond merely accommodating persons with impairments. As people age, they often develop vision, hearing, dexterity, mobility, and cognitive issues. Any testing done with people with impairments will benefit ageing users as well. This also goes for users where English is not their first language or users who have learning difficulties.
This session will show you the value of testing with diverse users and give you practical tips on how you can cost-effectively extend your usability lab, including how you can plan and carry out testing with diverse users. You’ll also see examples of how that litmus test passes or fails, as I uncover common issues diverse users face that we could only have found out when we put our products in their hands.
