Ironhack practice: Guidelines for user testing
For me, it’s essential to have a clear idea and to create guidelines for the test before putting it in practice. Having a clear and organised structure in my head, enables me to focus on the main goals and on the interviewee during the test. Also, well created guidelines make sure that the user-testing is measuring exactly what it should and that every part of the test has a purpose and is well designed. Here you can get a closer look to the guidelines I had in this case study.
In the beginning it’s important that the users are aware of the structure so that they knows what to expect. For example, telling what is going to be tested, how it will be tested and how long. It’s important to clarify to the user that there is no right or wrong answers and that the user itself is not going to be evaluated. The focus is on the app and how the app serves the user.
1. Warming up for the task
- Explain the purpose of the test: what do we test and what for?
- No wrong or right answers!
- “We are not testing you, we are more concentrated on how the APP serves YOU.”
- Explain the structure so that the user knows what to expect.
- First the testing part and then a few questions about the task.
- The whole task might take around 20mins.
Making the topic familiar is important because otherwise the task ends up very abstract and might not give very good results. For that reason, I decided to print a big picture of the destination I am going to use in the test. Also, I was a bit worried if there is too much information for the user to remember in the task and I decided to help the memory by adding the most important components: “the budget”, “the time for the trip” and “the destination”. I printed and cut those components and added them one by one in different places on the picture so it might help the user to remember them during the task.
2. Making the topic familiar
- Showing the picture of the destination to make it a bit more real.
- Adding components to the picture to make them more memorable during the task they will do. e.g. “budget”, “one week” and “New Delhi”.
- Giving the setup: “You are going to travel here to Taj Mahal. You have one week trip coming and you have 2000€ to spend. The destination you will fly and stay is New Delhi, the capital”.
Look and feel test is a good way to test what the first impressions of the app are and if the user can find the main functions in the screen in 5 seconds.
3. Look and Feel test
- First: The look and feel task! “You have 5 seconds to take a look at the home screen of the app we are testing”.
- After 5 seconds: “What did you see? What can this tool do for you? Where would you search for a flight?”.
- Which were the first thoughts about the app?
With the introduction and the background story I try to make the user get into the mood of using the app we are testing. The story needs to be simple enough so that users can relate easily to it. Also, the background story tells the user why are we using the app now and what is the purpose of it.
4. Introduction to the travel planning task
- Reading aloud the background story leading to the task.
- Giving instructions on what to do in the task.
- Ask if the interviewee wants to read the task again by himself/herself and leave the task on the table to be read again if needed.
- Give the user a paper or notebook for notes
There are many things to concentrate on at the same time while the user is testing the app. For that reason it is a good idea to record the screen and of course, to ask permission for recording. When the user is doing the task, it’s good to make questions every now and then if user gets stuck with the app or shows signs of confusion or frustration. These questions are meant to highlight what the user is struggling with and not to guide the user on how to use the app.
5. The travel planning task
- Asking for permission for recording the screen of the app during the task.
- Observing what the user is doing.
- Ask questions if needed: “What are you trying to do now?” “Was something confusing now?” and “What are you searching for now?”
After the test it’s a good time for a few more questions, because everything is still fresh in memory. Free comments are important, because they give a chance for the user to bring out his/her first impression of the app and the task. Also, it’s good to ask if the user found something confusing and difficult and compare it to the pain points the user had in while using the app. It’s good to compare the actions and the words together. Also the interview gives the possibility to ask something you can’t find out during the test. For example how did the user like the look of the app and how did it feel to use it.
6. A short interview
- Free comments — immediately after the experience! What kind of feeling the app and the task left?
- What was hard and confusing?
- What was easy and worked well?
- Was there something missing in this app?
- What does the user think about the look of the app?
- What would they change?
Conclusion
This guidelines are just examples I used during the pre-task I completed for the Ironhack UX/UI bootcamp. They helped me focus on the main goals of the task and made me rethink if the task is really testing what it should. Also, I think this kind of structure could be a good way to introduce your ideas for the test to your colleagues before the task is about to be done in practice.
