Written by Srikant Chari
Introduction
One of the most underrated aspects of conducting a user study is the importance of building rapport with your users. Whether it be a user interview or a usability test, you need to make sure your users feel comfortable and open as they speak with you, the moderator, so that you can receive the most candid and authentic feedback to help improve the software experience for the product you are designing. So how do you build rapport in a user study? The following sections will help you break down how you can build better rapport with your users.
Always Be Friendly, Welcoming, And Personable
Participating in a user study can be quite nerve-wracking to say the least. Users can come into a study feeling anxious, not knowing what to expect with how the study will flow. To ease them in, it is important to greet your uses with a warm, friendly smile, eye contact, and a light, welcoming handshake. Making your users feel comfortable and welcome not only relieves pressure, but also sets the stage for open and honest feedback as they start testing the website, app, or product you are building.
Friendliness isn’t just limited to the smiles and handshakes though, but also in how you start the conversation. Remember, your user is the main star of the show, so start the conversation with asking questions about them, such as “how has your day been so far?” or “had a great breakfast/lunch?”, etc. By engaging in normal conversations, you build relatability with your users which allows them to feel like their authentic selves.
Emphasize That You Are Testing The Software, Not The User
The whole purpose of the usability test is to figure out what parts of the software makes sense for the user and what doesn’t. In spite of this, users can feel nervous and worried that they will appear stupid in front of you, the moderator. So as you are reading the script, make sure to always emphasize that you are testing the software and not the user and that it is absolutely ok to make mistakes.
As the moderator, take it a step further by stating that making mistakes actually helps us with understanding where the issues are with the software so that they can be rectified later on. This is key in building rapport, because not only have you established the expectations and purpose of the usability test to your users, but you also make them feel honored to be participating as well. Your users really appreciate having their voice be heard as they feel valued that their feedback will be addressed in the future.
Maintain A Conversational Discourse
While it is important to have your script at hand to maintain focus of what your usability test will cover, reading off of the script verbatim can make your users feel uncomfortable and disengaging. Instead, ask your questions in a conversational manner to make the discourse more natural.
For instance, instead of asking your users to “search for a vacation home,” paint your users with a scenario such as: “imagine it is summer time and you are planning your next vacation, find a vacation spot you have always wanted to travel to.” Not only is the question more engaging, it also primes your users to envision such a scenario as if they were at home performing the same activities as opposed to just a lab setting.
Allow Your Users To Think Aloud
As the moderator of the usability test, part of your job is to listen and observe your users as you are proctoring them on the tasks. Your users may feel uncomfortable and awkward as you are observing them in silence even with rapport established early on. So to break the silence, encourage your users to think-aloud as they are performing the tasks.
When the user is thinking aloud, they are walking you through their thought process behind their actions as they are performing the tasks. By allowing them to speak as they are performing the actions, the users have the opportunity to be authentic and candid with their natural responses, thus providing valuable insight on where the pain points are. A moment of cursing at the screen can reveal a lot about the state of the current system.
Go Off Script When Necessary
A script is great for maintaining focus on areas you want to test within the software, however, some of the best discoveries are found outside the script. There will be moments in a usability test, where your user might say something interesting that you may have never thought about before.
Hone in on that curiosity by allowing your users to elaborate a little more on how they felt performing the action, personal pains and gains, etc. Users will appreciate the fact you, the moderator, are actually receptive to their thoughts and sentiments, which makes the experience less cold and robotic for them.
Close With A Warm Thank You
Finally, when you are at the end of the usability test, always say thank you to your users for the time they took to participate in your study. Depending on your industry and budget, rewarding your users with gift cards or cash is a great gesture of generosity. It is great way to close a warm and welcoming experience.
Final Thoughts
Conducting a usability test is both an art and a science. The key is to strike a balance with having a solid plan, but at the same time not appearing cold or robotic. At the end of the day building good rapport is a part of the user-centered design process, and providing a warm and friendly vibe can allow researchers to uncover issues and new insights fluidly through openness of the user.
For a deeper dive on how you can build better rapport in your next usability study, please check out our latest video right featuring ProjectUX creator and Executive Producer Rob Andrews:
ProjectUX’s mission is all about bringing awareness of UX to startups and helping them improve their product experiences. To learn more about ProjectUX check out our site right here: https://www.projectux.tv/ and feel free to follow us on Twitter ProjectUX.
Special Thanks to Srikant Chari, our content contributor for writing this article. Please feel free to follow him on Twitter Srikant Chari
