Title:
Usability Testing in Virtual Reality and Traditional Physical Environments: A Comparative Study
Usability Testing in Virtual Reality and Traditional Physical Environments: A Comparative Study
Author(s)
Advisor(s)
Purdy, Timothy G.
Editor(s)
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Abstract
Usability testing is a vital component of user experience design that helps to identify issues and
improve the design during product development. With the growth of Virtual Reality (VR), it is
important to consider how this technology can be utilized to assist with usability testing. This project
aims to compare the effectiveness of usability testing in VR and traditional physical environments
to provide insights on how to optimize the testing process in both environments. The result of this
study can potentially be used to justify conducting usability tests in Virtual Reality.
The study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach, which included both quantitative
and qualitative data collection and was organized into user research and evaluation phases.
After literary and market research, field research was conducted by deploying online surveys and
conducting user interviews. A total of 108 participants were recruited for the online survey study
and 10 participants for the user interviews. The goal of the user research phase was to understand
the users’ pain points and frustrations when driving. Based on the research data, a solution was
designed along with high-fidelity prototypes that were evaluated through usability tests in both a
VR environment and a traditional physical environment. There were 14 participants recruited for
the usability tests. These tests involved a usability testing session with a high-fidelity prototype of
a user interface (UI) using a “Think-Aloud” technique. Each participant completed a series of tasks
designed to test both the suitability of the VR and traditional environments for user testing and
the usability of the UI design itself. Performance was measured by having each user complete a
satisfaction survey after undergoing testing in each environment. This evaluation phase was used
to collect feedback from potential users through testing.
The findings demonstrate that usability testing of an interactive experience can be effectively
conducted in a VR environment. This provides new opportunities for designers to explore innovative
ways to engage end-users during the evaluation phase of the design process.
Sponsor
Date Issued
2023-05
Extent
Resource Type
Text
Resource Subtype
Masters Project