Usability Testing

The purpose of this evaluation was to examine how effectively users can navigate key collaborative features of Google Docs through a structured usability study. Eight participants with diverse backgrounds were recruited and asked to complete five realistic, task-based scenarios involving formatting, navigation, sharing, assigning permissions, completing Suggesting Mode tasks, and responding to comments. A variety of tasks were designed to demonstrate how users discover features, interpret interface cues, and manage collaborative workflows. As part of our analysis of usability, we collected multiple forms of data, including performance metrics such as task success, error rates, and time on task, in order to evaluate efficiency and accuracy. The participants rated the difficulty of each task after the scenario, and we then administered the satisfaction scale at the end of the study. A combination of screen recordings and user responses to questions provided qualitative insights into users' thought processes, points of confusion, and strategies they utilized during difficult tasks. By combining task-based data, user self-report data, and observational evidence, we gained a detailed understanding of where Google Docs supported collaborative work and where it created unnecessary friction.