THE BEST DESIGN SATISFIES USER NEEDS. The goal of usability testing is to discover the needs and expectations of users. Designers should conduct usability testing on a representative sample to ensure that the materials are appropriate for all users. This article will feature two common types of user testing, paper based screen testing and pilot testing.

A design team should conduct usability testing throughout the design process. They want to discover problems in the user interface very early on in the design process to conserve production resources (Gordon, 1994). 

Instructional design teams should conduct usability testing throughout the entire design process

Usually someone from the design team conducts usability testing in a controlled setting. The users interact with a prototype of the product. The designer can present the design to the user in many forms, such as a mockup, a story board, paper screens, and even the product itself.

Paper based testing can take place early in the design process. The designer looks for problems in the user interface. They use this opportunity to test the features of the design that concern them the most.

Paper based testing is a common form of usability testing. In most cases, an artist or designer creates mock ups of the design. Then, they show it to a couple of prospective users. They try to catch usability problems in the designs before they use any more production resources.

Many artists choose to draw sketches for paper based testing. Other artists use screens made in a graphics program of their choice, such as Photoshop or Illustrator.
The lack of functionality in paper screens is not a drawback. It allows the designer to see if the user really understands the interface. In a fully functional program, a user may use external cues to clue them into the functionality of the interface.

There are many forms of pilot testing. Recent studieshave show that observing users while they manipulate the program can be very useful (Shute & Psotka, 1996). Pilot testing usually takes place near the end of the design process. 

Pilot testing usually takes place near the end of the design process when the product is nearly completed, and includes more users than paper based testing.
Designers apply many different practices when conducting user testing. Pilot testing generally includes more users than paper based testing. Many designers prefer to observe the users in addition to interviewing. A grunt can speak volumes.

The tester should determine a systematic plan for usability testing ahead of time. The tester should record his or her observations, so that he or she can analyze the data later.

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