Functionality and Usability Testing Resources

Functionality testing verifies that the functions of a product or service is working as intended. Each function is tested by providing appropriate input, verifying the output and comparing the actual results with the expected results. Usability testing measures the ease of use and intuitiveness of a product or service by asking users to perform a task and observing what they do, where they succeed and where they have difficulties.

This article was developed as part of the Mobile Application Development Program. See our general guidelines to testing article for more resources on mobile product testing.

Government Guidance

Please reference the following guidance when doing Functionality and Usability testing.

• Executive Order on Improving Customer Service in Government
• OMB Fast Track Process for Collecting Service Delivery Feedback
• OMB Guidance on Plain Language Writing Act
• OMB Memo on Information Collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act

Resources Available

Listed below are resources available that further describe and conduct functionality and usability testing. These services/companies or websites are offered as a sample of what is currently available for functionality and usability testing and do not indicate an endorsement of them or their products and/or services.

Mobile Resources:

• 19 Tools for mobile testing – article containing tools for mobile testing
• Tips for mobile testing – article with tips for mobile testing

Web Resources:

• 3 Lessons from usability testing – blog post from Udemy on lessons learned from usability testing
• DIY Guide to usability testing – video tutorial from Steve Krug on simple usability testing techniques
• Functionality Testing Checklist – article containing functionality testing standards for web/mobile
• Functionality Testing Scenarios – article highlighting common testing scenarios for web/mobile
• Functional or Usability Testing – blog post from uTest on why usability testing should come first
• Open source software testing tools – page containing a list of tools for automated software testing

Relevant Communities:

• Interaction Design Association – DC Chapter local community focused DC group within the larger Interaction Design Association
• MobileGov Community of Practice – cross-gov, multidisciplinary community dedicated to building a anytime, anywhere gov for the public
• World Wide Web Consortium – international community that develops Web standards

Testing Services

These services/companies or websites are offered as a sample of what is currently available and do not indicate an endorsement of them or their products and/or services. The Federal CrowdSource Mobile Testing provides…

Mobile Resources:

Below are links to organizations that provide mobile functionality and usability testing services.

• Dudamobile
• Mob4Hire
• Perfecto mobile
• Userlytics

Web Resources:

Below are links to organizations that provide web functionality and usability testing services.

• 99tests
• ElusiveStars
• Feedback Army
• Hatforce
• Keynote
• PassBrains
• Pay4Bugs
• Testilo
• TopCoder
• Trymyu
• Usabilitest
• Usertesting
• uTest

Test Plans/Checklists available on GitHub

The test plans listed below are government test plans, cases or checklists that have been uploaded to GitHub and are available as samples and/or for use.

• General Services Administration – a test script to use as a starting point for testing a mobile website