Itqualityassurance
- What is formative usability testing?
- What is the difference between a formative usability test and a summative usability test?
- How many people should be included in a final summative user test?
What is formative usability testing?
Formative usability testing answers the why and how questions of the design's usability. It answers why something is not working and involves iteratively evaluating a product during design and development. The goal is to detect any issues and eliminate usability problems before a product is fully developed.
What is the difference between a formative usability test and a summative usability test?
The two categories are known as formative and summative usability testing. Formative testing is testing that forms and shapes a design for a user interface. Summative testing is about determining the issues, problems or benefits of an existing or prototype design.
How many people should be included in a final summative user test?
At the end of product development it's important to confirm that the device is safe and effective for human use. That is a summative or validation test, and requires about 25 participants per user group (FDA, 2011).
