Methods and services for testing design hypotheses
Diana Kalinushkina, UX/UI designer at Revend Group, spoke about methods and services for testing design hypotheses at a recent presentation. In this article, we would like to share with you the key conclusions and knowledge we gained during the presentation.
What is testing?
Testing is a study of how easily and intuitively the target audience can use a product, system, or service.
Revend Group designer Diana Kulishkina also emphasized that the main purpose of testing is to identify problems and difficulties before users start using the product to avoid possible cases that a potential user may face, as this affects the success of the product and its development in the future.
The value of usability testing
- Increase the convenience and efficiency of using the product
- Reduce bounce rate and increase conversion
- Increase user satisfaction
Stages of testing
- The purpose of the study (what you want to know and why)
- Creating scenarios
- Formation of hypotheses
- Determining the type of testing
Let’s take a closer look at the types of testing and understand their essence
Testing methods:
In general, there are about 20 UX research methods that fall into several categories. Thus, according to the subject of research, there are
- Qualitative
- Quantitative
By the format of participation:
- Moderated
- Unmoderated
Field research
Research is conducted in the “field,” i.e., in the environment in which your digital product will be directly used.
This method, like the others, has both its pros and cons, so let’s take a look at them
Pros: obtaining information “firsthand”; identifying problems that cannot be found by conducting research in the laboratory.
Cons : The cost of conducting the research can be high, and there is a risk of getting a subjective opinion.
Focus groups
Focus groups consist of a small number of respondents (usually less than ten), and the survey itself is conducted in an informal setting. This method is used to collect information about users, their problem areas, preferences, and how they interact with the product.
Pros: relatively fast data collection due to the survey of several respondents simultaneously in a short period of time.
Cons : Due to the fact that focus group discussions can be spontaneous and unstructured, it can be difficult to analyze the final results.
A/B testing
A/B testing is a common and effective method of researching user behavior. The essence of the study is that you offer participants several versions of your product. The differences can be in the general layout, design decisions, hierarchical structure, etc.
Pros: It helps to quickly resolve design disputes or make changes to an existing product. A/B testing helps to understand which interface will be more effective and useful for potential customers.
Cons: To get statistically significant results, it is necessary to involve as many respondents as possible. With this in mind, the cost of conducting the study can be quite high for small companies.
Services: Freshmarketer, VWO, Optimizely
Usability testing
This method involves conducting a series of tests by a small group of users. They can be moderated (there is a moderator who manages the testing process ) and unmoderated (only a group of participants is present and performs a series of tasks individually).
Heatmap analysis
Heatmaps are an analytical tool for measuring the effectiveness of your website that allows you to track the number of visitors to each page, the effectiveness of design elements, CTAs, and more.
Pros: The results of heatmap research will help you identify the reasons for low conversions, investigate the informativeness and quality of content, and determine the effectiveness of dynamic elements, pop-ups, and call-to-action buttons.
Cons: If you have never used the heatmap method, it may seem difficult to interpret and implement at first.
Services: Hotjar, ClickTale, Crazy Egg, Microsoft Clarity
Diana also made a useful selection of the most popular testing platforms:
- Maze
- User Testing
- SurveyMonkey
- Attention Insight
- Uxtweak
- Google Forms
Maze
Scales customer insights with AI-powered research, from moderated to unmoderated research, so you can build the right products faster.
Allows you to mix qualitative and quantitative questions. Send the test to your users or purchase it on the platform.
Uxtweak platform
Powerful research tools to improve the usability of your digital products, from prototypes to production. The platform helps you build an easy-to-navigate and easy-to-search website.
User Testing
This is a modern and progressive method of testing web products that allows you to get real data on the minimum viability of the product, its functions, or prototype from real users. We test UX hypotheses of our own product or competitors.
Attention Insight service
AI-based design analytics. Create an attention heatmap right where you are and learn ways to optimize your website!
AI-powered design analytics allows you to see websites through the eyes of users. Learn how users interact with design, improve user experience, compare it to competitors, and make data-driven decisions
Bottom line
All of these methods are worthy of attention. Depending on the needs of the company, you can choose a testing method that will not only speed up and facilitate the project implementation, but also affect the company’s reputation and save money in the future. Thus, it is really important, especially in today’s business environment.
We hope that our presentation was of interest to you and helped you better understand the importance of testing design hypotheses and which services or methods to use.
If you have any further questions or need any advice, don’t hesitate to contact us.
We strive to be not only a source of information, but also your reliable partner in the world of design and technology. Our team is ready to help you realize your ideas, develop your projects, and achieve great success together.
Thank you for your attention and see you soon!
