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Subject:Re: Diff Betw. QA and Usability Testing From:"Pritchard,Laurie N" <Laurie_Pritchard -at- MC -dot- XEROX -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 12 Jan 1998 09:36:35 PST
Gina -- the major difference between these two disciplines is that QA
testing focuses on the basic workability of the software -- that it
functions the way it is expected to. In QA testing, a test plan is
typically developed that outlines how defects in the software will be
identified, corrected, and retested. QA testing will uncover
functional defects such as buttons that don't work, fields that don't
accept user input properly, excessively slow response times, and
actions that cause the system to freeze or crash altogether.
Usability testing focuses on the ability of the user to learn and use
the software quickly and effectively. A software application may work
perfectly from a QA standpoint -- that is, all the buttons and fields
may work as expected -- but the product may still be hard to learn and
understand. A usability evaluation seeks to identify these problems.
For example, a dialog box may include fields or buttons with unclear
labels, making it difficult for the user to know what to enter. Or,
an application may not provide the user with any auditory or visual
cues as to how it is responding to their actions, leaving the user
with no clue as to whether they did the right thing.
Usability testing typically involves observing several users (one at a
time) as they work with the application, recording their actions and
the problems that they note. Although technical writers are often
involved with usability evaluation, it is growing into a separate
discipline, and many companies now employ usability specialists who
work with writers and development teams to evaluate software
specifically from a usability perspective.
A very good book about usability evaluation is "A Practical Guide to
Usability Testing" by Joseph A. Dumas and Janice C. Redish (Ablex
Publishing Company, second printing, 1994).
This is a very high-level description, but I hope it helps...
Laurie Pritchard
Laurie_Pritchard -at- mc -dot- xerox -dot- com
----------
From: Technical Writers List; for all Technical Communication issues
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Cc: Gina Hertel
Subject: Diff Betw. QA and Usability Testing
Date: Monday, January 12, 1998 9:01AM
What is the difference between QA testing and Usability Testing?
Are they two different things?
Is one a compnent part of the other?
Is there overlap?
TIA!
Gina Hertel
Technical Writer
Alpha Technologies, Inc.
ghertel -at- alpha88 -dot- com
(732) 980-1800 Ext.749
