Method: Usability tests

What

A usability test observes users as they attempt to use a product or service while thinking out loud.

Why

Usability tests help you better understand the:

• Intuitiveness of your design
• Adaptabability of your design to meet user needs

How to do it

1. Choose what you will test that might help users accomplish their goals. This could be a sketch, prototype, or even a competitor’s product.
2. Plan the test. Ensure your team aligns on:
   • The scenarios the test will focus on
   • Which users should participate and how you will recruit them
   • Which team members will moderate and observe.
3. Prepare a usability test script.
4. Recruit users and get their consent.
5. Provide a way for potential participants to sign up for the test. Pass along to participants an agreement explaining what participation will entail. Clarify any logistical expectations, such as screen sharing, and how you'll share links or files of whatever it is you're testing.
6. Run the tests.
   • Moderators should:
     • Verbally confirm with the participant that it's okay to record the test
     • Ask participants to think out loud
     • Guide the participant through the session.
   • Observers should:
     • Contribute to a rolling issues log
     • Relay any in-session questions to the moderator, refraining from interrupting the session from the participant's point of view.
     • Engage your team in a post-interview debrief after each test.
7. Discuss the results. Schedule a collaborative synthesis meeting to discuss any issues you observed and questions these tests raise concerning user needs. Conclude the meeting by determining how the team will use what it learned in service of future design decisions.

Time required

20 minutes to 1 hour per test