User testing
Evaluative research methods and usability testing
- Evaluative research may be used to capture date within framework or a set of questions relating to a product or service.
- Evaluative research may also be a review of existing data that is specifically relevant to a product or service
Evaluative research and generative research
- Evaluating an existing design
- VS
- Generating a new body of research to inform decisions about making a new product e.g. by interviewing stakeholders and experts (we’ll cover this in later sessions).
Why conduct evaluative research
- do things with research behind it
- Don’t do things you think are great do things you know are great
- Invest in more face time with users
- Lead with data
False-consensus effect
- Projecting their behaviour and research into others
- imagining a user will use it the way you would
When is evaluative research done
- project start
- Define user requirements
- Concept design
Test your assumptions
- You want to test even if it costs
- F.O.G – facts, opinions and guesses
Evaluative research
- Usability Testing
- Guerilla Testing
- Heuristic Evaluation
- A/B Testing
- Surveys
- Analytics Review
- Heat maps
Quantitative and qualitative
- quantitative -measurable -maths
- qualitative-open ended – descriptive (subjective)
Usability Testing
- Usability testing refers to evaluating a product or service by testing it with representative users.
- Typically, during a test, participants will try to complete typical tasks while observers watch, listen and takes notes.
- During a usability test, you will:
- Learn if participants are able to complete specified tasks successfully
- Identify how long it takes to complete specified tasks
- Find out how satisfied participants are with your Web site or other product
- Identify changes required to improve user performance and satisfaction
- Analyse the performance to see if it meets your usability objectives
Number of usability tests
Bad Questions types
- closed questions – yes or no
- Assumptive questions – assume positive or negative response
- Leading questions – leading them towards a desired answer
Good questions
- opens ended questions – about expectations and impressions
- Task driven feedback questions
- Follow up questions (e.g rating questions)
Usability testing situations
- Moderated - the tester is with the participant
- Unmoderated – participant is working alone, following a script
- Remote – e.g. on Teams/Zoom, or otherwise at a distance
- In-person – in the same physical space
Guerrilla testing
- is a relatively fast, cheap and informal way to test ideas, to get high-level feedback, and potentially uncover user experience problems
- It can be done pretty much anywhere: a coffee shop, a shopping center, or on the street.
- Typically qualitative rather than quantitative.
Remote moderated usability testing
- be careful about privacy
- Get rid of things on their laptop
Introduction
- introduce yourself
- Tell them what you are doing and how long it is going to take
- Explain that they are not being tested
- They cannot get everything wrong
- We are looking for problems
- Be really honest
- Ask them to narrate what they see
- Remind them that we cannot help them achieve their task
- Set them a task – a specific task is better
During the test don’t help them
- if they ask questions ask them questions back
- If they go quiet, ask them questions about what’s going on so that you can learn more
- Try to avoid using the same person
