When to make a change after content testing

We test for all new content to find out if it’s:

• hard to understand
• offensive
• meeting the acceptance criteria

We may also test existing content again after improving it using search analytics.

When the Trello card for a content item is in the ‘testing done’ column, it’s ready for a content designer to look at the feedback from testing.

If the content is meant to help people make a choice, we might also do a scenario test where we:

• describe a situation
• ask them to read the content
• ask them what choice they would make next

We leave feedback in Word document comments.

We hope this guide will help you to get started.

https://unsplash.com/photos/S3sJTdymsp0

1. Check if it’s in scope

To work out what’s relevant:

• split up ​​​​longer ​​​bits of feedback into shorter ​statements
• see if each point is in the ​​​​user story and acceptance criteria on the Trello card
• decide which changes would be in scope and which would not

2. Describe the problem you are fixing

Read the feedback and describe:

• how the reader is experiencing the content
• what went wrong

Here are some ​​common problems that people identify in user testing. You can add your own.

a. Helping people to find the right content

“What I need is not there!”

You can add more content if it’s in scope.

If the new content would not be in scope, find out what adding that content would do for the person testing the content.

If someone says something is not covered in your piece, but you know it is there but is there, just ​​​​further down, ​​respect their experience.

• It wasn’t there when they needed it.
• They thought strongly enough to tell us about it.

Fix the problem where people noticed or higher up the piece. That’s when they felt they needed to talk about the problem. It might have been building up for a while.

Check your document’s structure. Look at the:

• ​​ordering
• ​landmarks and labels to make the document easy to scan, usually headings
• ​seeing if you can add something to the summary at the top​

It is ​​hard work for the reader to remember a problem so you can solve it further down the piece. You are adding to their mental load. If the situation is high risk, it can be OK to explain why an action is important before saying what the action is.

What people want and what they need can be different. But this is rare.

b. Understanding

“I don’t understand this bit”

Find a way to make it more obvious. This may mean making the piece longer.

• Are you implying something that you could say more explicitly? For example, by adding a heading, example or bullet points.
• Find a clearer way to say something that might be jargon.
• Write a summary and put that at the top of the piece of section (front-loading).

c. People can’t see their lived experience

“It wasn’t like that for me when…”

Make the change if it will help people to:

• make a choice
• manage risk
• manage effort
• plan

It’s OK to make smaller changes to content which make it more ​​inclusive. ​ ​Moving to a softer conditional word can help, particularly if you’re describing an ambiguous process. For example, saying something “can” or “should” happen can be less jarring if that was not your experience.

d. Telling you how to change the content

​​​Why are they suggesting this?

​​​Can you try other ways to solve that problem, including those in this document?

​​​3. Can content solve this problem?

Content can only solve some problems.

There are real problems people need to solve that content cannot fix.

​​​Do not make a change if it will not help to solve the problem.

Coaching people is hard to do with content. For example, we can give strategies for job interviews in content. But an adviser from our services will be better at giving feedback and helping people to feel confident.

It’s OK to link to our helpline.

4 Is it valuable?

​​ ​​As the content designer, can you describe ​how adding or changing something will make things better? How will it help the reader?

You can decide not to make lower value changes if they make the document long or complicated.

Example: A higher-value change

Helping people to avoid a high-risk situation by making a decision. ​​For example, choosing to take in a lodger and losing their Severe Disability Premium.

Example: A lower-value change

​​​Describing 5 different possible outcomes that the reader cannot affect. Especially if:

• the piece is not about planning
• the benefits calculator or calling the helpline will be a better user experience than text

​​​​​5. Is it complicated?

Complicated content is hard to understand.

Sometimes simple questions have complicated answers that change because of things that change, often 3 or more variables).​ Look for lots of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’.​

If it’s a valuable and complicated change, think about:

• re-structuring the page
• a different content type, like the benefits calculator

Only make a change if you think people will understand it.

Explaining that there is a risk, then linking to the helpline can be enough.

Example content: A warning about taking a lodger

## Warning: Taking a lodger

There are rules about who you can live with if you receive Severe Disability Premium.
You should also check the rules in your rental agreement.

Get advice if you are taking a lodger.

[Scope helpline](https://www.scope.org.uk/helpline/)

If it’s complicated and important

If you’re not sure, draft the change and ask the team for feedback. For questions about benefits, linking to the helpline might be better.

For a high risk situation or choice, you can help people check if it might apply to them. If it does, you could suggest an action. For example, helping people to work out when they need to talk to an adviser. This might be easier to understand than writing about lots of outcomes.