The main reason that apps are created is to please people and give them something to use. Applications on smartphones and tablets are an excellent interface to launch a product, market a destination, or get people addicted to a new and fun game. Applications are certainly the way of the future and they have endless potentials.

Throughout the long journey of app development, many steps are reached and issues addressed to ensure that an app achieves the purpose it sets out it. The beginning step of this is establishing the idea and the purpose of the app. From here, an app must go through rigorous refining, having a user roadmap created, a prototype tested, and often each step will be done time and time again.

One of the most crucial elements of app development and one that needs plenty of attention paid to many times over is the user testing. After all, an app is being designed for the users so it really needs to be attentive to user needs. At every stage of app development, someone needs to test the app to ensure it is on the right track of user friendliness and usability.

This is called user testing and it is to be taken seriously. User testing comes with many benefits, including:

  • An increased retention of users
  • A clearer insight and understand to user thoughts when using the app
  • Useful feedback at every stage of the app
  • A way to solve problems before they arise
  • A validation of ideas behind the app

User testing has many elements behind it. Not just simply asking for feedback, there are many more things to be taken into consideration when user testing it done at every step. Some of these aspects include:

  • Pay close attention so that you clearly know the target audience.
  • Test for accessibility so that the app and product is available for all users with no discrimination.
  • Use a practical tool for user testing and one that delivers usable feedback.
  • Test using actual devices so that the function and purpose isn’t lost in translation.
  • Document all the feedback and user testing results in easy to access and understand documents so that you can refer back to it regularly.
  • Keep track of the changes that you’ve made as a result of user testing to help inform future alterations.

Test the prototype with users as well as coworkers to maximise feedback and results.