Week 4: User Testing, Feedback, and Prototype Iterations
By: Xiaoyi Chen
Pre-User Testing: Setting Up the Scene!
After a week of preparation, we are finally entering the most exciting phase of the project: User Testing. We set up tables, slides, and the paper prototype, aiming to simulate the 3D environment of the VR game. To better replicate the challenges faced by HSN patients, our target users, we cut a tissue box in half and had our testers wear it. This way, throughout the testing, they would only perceive half of their visual field.
There are two key ideas we wanted to test. The first and most important is whether our concept design aligns with the users’ mental model. The second is the social support aspect: do our users find it rewarding or motivating when they see encouragement messages from family members at the end of the session?
During User Testing: Clap, Clap, YAH!
We split our roles as follows: two people guide the participant through the process, one person takes notes on each participant, and one person handles the recording. The flow of the user testing includes: 1) Welcoming & Login page on Figma; 2) Reviewing slides to introduce roles; 3) Users interact with paper prototype objectives; 4) Objectives trigger mini-games, with three in total; 5) Live chat with a message from a family member at the end; 6) Post-User Testing Survey for both the family member and the primary user.
We also wanted to incorporate audio feedback to better guide our users. Whenever they missed the objective, we would say “not quite yet,” “too far,” “very close,” or “almost there.” When they finally found the objective or accomplished something, we would all clap and cheer for them.
We initially set up the puzzles on the left side of the table, so the participant would need to read from the slide, turn left to interact with the objective, and then turn left again to engage with the puzzle. Our goal was to encourage the participant to practice trunk rotation. However, after just two tests, we noticed some confusion in the instruction, so we decided to present the mini-game directly in front of the 3D scene once the participant triggers a specific objective.
Post-User Testing: Reviewing User Feedbacks
In two hours, we completed nine user testing sessions. We reviewed the user feedback and all the recorded videos. The insights from the videos provided us with ideas and direction for our next iteration. One of the most frequently mentioned points was that family members do not feel actively involved in the game beyond sending encouraging text messages. Our most significant update will be changing the solo game to a duo game, where the family member will be integrated as the second player, collaborating with the patient to solve each puzzle.
Most of the feedback from our participants in the patient role indicated confusion when trying to find the “objectives.” To address this, we plan to add more background information, instructions, visual and audio cues, and additional context in our next iteration.
What We Learned & the Next Step
Besides the user feedback, we also received valuable input from the instructor and TAs. We have learned the importance of user testing, as it allows us to determine whether we truly understand the user’s mental model, enabling us to make our design more accurate and supportive. We look forward to showcasing our refined project next week. Thank you to everyone who participated in our user testing!
