Prototype Software for Usability Testing

prototype usability testing

Why you should check your prototype software’s flexibility before usability testing

You’ve made a commitment to usability testing your website or app. You’ve booked the lab time; developed a scenario; screened the participants and all seems to be going swimmingly. Until crunch day. You arrive at the research facility, only to find the prototyping software you’ve chosen is inappropriate for the tasks you’ve devised.

It doesn’t allow data input in forms, or fails to resize correctly for mobile and tablet, or is so badly designed it interferes with the whole exercise, skewing the results and writing off the day’s session.

Ensuring prototype software does the job for which it’s required is an often overlooked but deceptively important stage of the usability testing process. We have seen, time and again, organisations putting in the groundwork and carefully preparing for the big day, only to be stumped by a poor choice of software.

In the same way that you’d choose a hammer over a spirit level to drive a nail into some wood, when validating designs you need to pick the right tool for the job. There are a host of extremely capable platforms out there suited to different needs, including:

  • Muse – An excellent tool by Adobe that caters for prototypes that require a parallax effect as part of the design
  •  UXPin – Great for prototyping graphic-focused apps, but also capable of creating the full range of mockups, from wireframe to animated
  • Proto.io – A useful tool for testing both basic and complex interactive user journeys, allowing you to ‘stitch’ together the different components via a simple drag and drop feature
  • Webflow – With a focus on RWD, Webflow is ideal for usability testing your responsive website, allowing you to create effective prototypes for this specific purpose
  • Marvel – A browser-based tool that simplifies the prototyping process, allowing you hit the ground running and build working prototypes from image files and even hand drawn sketches via photos
  • InvisionApp – Another easy-to-use piece of software, allowing you to make simple, clickable low and high fidelity prototypes, ideal for testing user flows.

As not all prototyping software is created equal or offers the same level of functionality, finding the one that suits your needs is what counts. Doing so and ensuring it allows participants to easily perform the relevant tasks before usability testing is imperative.

Usability testing can improve the user experience for your customers, increasing qualified leads and boosting profits. To find out more, give us a ring on +44(0)800 0246 247, or email hello@ux247.com.

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