Written by Fang, 2021 Cohort
Recently, I conducted an interesting usability test on a group project. The reason I found it interesting is that it was the first time I did it in English. As a second language speaker, I realize a comprehensive usability test script can greatly reduce my tension and allow me to have more natural and pleasant interactions with users. Here are some tips for usability testing based on my previous work experience and the tests I performed these days.
1. Pre-testing helps a lot.
Before the user testing, I’ve examined my prototype many times. However, I could always find more problems when I actually performed the test. To avoid wasting users’ time and create a better experience for test takers, I strongly recommend conducting a pre-test before the official one. We can invite our colleagues or friends to do the usability test ahead of the formal one. Though they might not be the actual users, they can still help us find bugs in our prototype or problems in our process.
2. Well begun is half done.
Since the users who participate in our usability test are usually strangers to us, we need a good opening introduction to make them feel at ease, to let them understand the purpose of the test and quickly integrate them into our scene. A good relationship between the users and us can make things go more smoothly. Besides, it is our responsibility to tell the users what they need to know and what to expect in the beginning. Usually, I try to say hi, introduce myself a little bit and express gratitude towards the users for joining us. Then I inform them of the purpose, time length, and expectation of the test. In the last part of the introduction, don’t forget to tell them how we are going to use test data and ask them about privacy.
3. Most of the time, silence is golden.
The goal for a usability test is to know users’ feelings and true thoughts about our products. Never give users the answer to the information you want to ask. For instance, if we tell them what our app is for in the beginning, it will be difficult for us to confirm whether users can accurately understand our product through their own exploration. Be cautious when facing inquiries from users. No need to answer everything because we want to know how they comprehend our products. If some icons or copy-writing criteria are confusing, let them ask and take down notes. Instead of telling them the design intents, we could encourage them to tell us what they see.