Testing is a fundamental part of a UX designer’s role. It helps designers gain inspiration, overcome biases, and be guided. However, while testing can be incredibly beneficial, designers can miss out on some great benefits if they make several common mistakes. This article will cover exactly what a user test is, where it fits into Design Thinking, and outline some of the best practices.
Conducting a user test
You want to gather as much information as quickly as possible
- Fix any flaws and strengthen the product for an overall better experience
- Save time and money for the company
- Challenge assumptions made
- Watch out for if the product works effectively and if the users enjoy using the product
What is Design Thinking?
Design Thinking is a non-linear iterative process that teams employ to understand users and create strong products and services
- It involves five phases: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test
- These stages should be understood as different modes that contribute to a project rather than sequential steps
Ask follow up questions
It’s crucial that you understand your feedback so don’t skimp on this section. Ask a lot of questions so everything feels clear on both ends
- Best practices for doing user testing the right way
- Have any questions or comments? Let us know in the comments below.
Best practices for user testing
Utilize a natural setting
- Aim to have the normal setting that a user would usually be using the product
- Try role playing to bring the situation closer to what you envision it to be
- Once this is set then follow on with these to get the most out of the experience and your test results
How you interact with the user
Give the user some context
What is a user test?
User testing refers to the method used in the design thinking process which evaluates the product, feature, or prototype with an end user
- The user should be representative of the user base of the end product or service
- Testing should take place with participants unknown before the test so they remain impartial and are not biased
- Sessions should be documented for later review
Why do we need to usability test?
User testing gives you incredibly useful and valuable insights from you users regarding why and how they will use your product.
- The actual test session will provide the designer with valuable feedback as they will be based on real-life facts, observations of real people.
Is user testing really necessary?
Projects that skip this step end up fixing flaws down the line which costs businesses and teams far more time
- Always find a way to fit this portion in
- Usability testing will definitely pay off
- Testing does take time, but it’s worth it if you have a deadline approaching
How you observe and note feedback
Make sure that no matter what you are doing you are not disturbing the user’s flow with the prototype. Find a way to collect feedback that let’s you observe while also remaining unnoticeable.
Show don’t tell: Let your user’s experience the prototype
Avoid over explaining how the prototype works, what you hope to see or what the constraints are.
The prototype
The prototype is what you are testing, not the user.
Ask users to talk through the experience
While the user is exploring the prototype, ask them to say their thought processes out loud so you can see how their mind is working
Observe
Observe how users either “correctly” or “incorrectly” use the product – and resist the urge to correct them
When is the best time to conduct usability testing?
The sooner you test, the better as less work has to be redone later.
- Ideally, testing should happen a few times over in a project’s lifecycle for optimal results. If time and resources are limited, testing can take place once but this should be chosen wisely.
