Research into Usability - Katie

Maze is a digital platform that’s built to make it easy for companies to test their prototypes and collate the data from the feedback. Since their service is built on creating tools to facilitate usability testing for many high profile customers like Uber and VMWare, the company have expertise in this area. As such, they have published many articles that help explain the do’s and don’ts to people who are unfamiliar with usability testing. These were the most relevant takeaways from their articles:

What kind of questions will we want to ask?

·        Background questions about demographics and product usage

·        Questions about the usability tasks

·        Specific questions about the design, navigation, language

·        Reflective questions on the test and tasks

·        Questions on overall opinions
Let's get into some examples.

 

What’s the goal of usability testing questions?

• Uncover errors or bugs
• Gain feedback from real users
• Understand your audience
• Learn whether the product works as expected
• See how user-friendly your product is

Here’s a few examples of questions you should not ask during a usability test:

·        What made completing this task a good experience?

·        How simple and clean was the interface?

·        Was the language in the mobile app clear and straightforward?

 

By using words like ‘simple’ and ‘clear,’ you can unintentionally plant ideas into the participant’s head. So avoid adjectives whenever possible, and phrase questions in a way that invites participants to share their thoughts openly.

 

Here’s how you should phrase the questions above:

·        How was your experience completing this task?

·        What do you think of the user interface?

·        How is the language used on this page?

Key takeaways:

·        Conduct usability testing early, and often: Users want to try a product out asap, and while it may be nerve-wracking to send a fresh product out there, it’s a great opportunity to gather feedback early in the design process. But don’t let that be your only usability test! Take the feedback, iterate, and test again.

·        Check your biases, and be open to change: Don’t go into your usability test with opinions and expectations set in stone. Like any user research or testing, it’s a good idea to record your assumptions ahead of time. That way, if something comes up unexpectedly—for example, users don’t navigate the platform in the way you expect—you can run with it and consider new options, rather than feeling stuck in your ways or heartbroken over an idea. Remember, the user should always be at the center of the design.

·        Don’t be afraid of a practice run: Usability tests are most effective when they run smoothly, so iron out any wrinkles by conducting a dry run before the real thing. Use colleagues or connections to double check your test, including any questions or software used. A test run may feel like an additional step, but it’s a lot quicker and cheaper than redoing your real test when an error occurs!

References: 

Maze. (n.d.). Usability Questions: How to Ask Effective Questions. [online] Available at: https://maze.co/guides/usability-testing/questions/.

‌