Getting Started with User TestingA LearnFWD talk

Diane Loviglio, Jinghua Zhang, Mozilla User ResearchOct. 31, 2011

User

Desirability

Business

Feasibility

Technology

Liability

A product solution needs to consider:

User

Desirability

Business

Feasibility

Technology

Liability

User research cares:

a product development cycle, lean

Phase 1: exploring the problem

Phase 2: generating ideas

Phase 3: making it real

Phase 4: refining the solution

Phase 1: exploring the problem

Phase 2: generating ideas

Phase 3: making it real

Phase 4: refining the solution

a product development cycle, lean

•field observation

•in-depth interview•diary study•case study

•survey•log study

•brainstorm workshops•content audit•comparative analysis•card sorting•cognitive walk-through•heuristic evaluation

•usability test•mood board

•A/B test•multi-variate test•usage metrics

Qualitative user research

Quantitative user research

Qualitative Qualitative

Quantitative

For startups, it doesn’t need to be that complicated ...

"Does our product/service as spec’d solve a (potential) user problem or fulfill a (potential) user need? "

"Is our solution compelling enough that people want to use it today? "

If you need to answer:

•in-depth interview

•usability test

HOW-TO:

conducting 15-minute user tests by yourself.

To conduct a user test, you need:

a moderator - yourself

a “potential” user

Some prototypes

a way to record what’s happening

a clear test purpose!

A clear test purpose:

•What questions are you answering?

•What do you think your answers are now?

a “potential” user

a “potential” user

- someone that most likely is going to be interested in your product/service

- can articulate- offer some incentive- respect on his/her time & privacy

a “potential” user

Find participants:• Craigslist, Twitter/FB• NDA, consent form

• ~ $1 per minute?

• a screener?

- someone that most likely is going to be interested in your product/service

- can articulate- offer some incentive- respect on his/her time & privacy

Get the Right PeopleExerciseYou’re developing a competitor to Open Table. Which different types of people would you want to talk with?

PS. How many participants do you need?

Some prototypes

Some prototypes

- something that people can walk through

- something conveys your test focus

- some tasks people can do with the prototype

Some prototypes

- something that people can walk through

- something conveys your test focus

- some tasks people can do with the prototype

Prepare your prototype:• yours or competitors• low-fi or high-fi• paper or digital

• static or interactive

a way to record what’s happening

• paper notes and (or) a camera?• if the camera will change user behaviors?

• camera: future use, to convince other team members?

a moderator - yourself

- you are there to learn, not to teach, not to negotiate.

- you need to let users talk and do things, but lead the direction when needed.

ExerciseYou’re developing a competitor to Open Table. Where and when would you observe your potential users’ behavior?

Observe Their Current Behaviors

ExerciseYou’re developing a competitor to Open Table. What questions would you ask to understand why your potential user is behaving the way they are?

Understand WhyStart questions with...Who, What, Where, When, Why and How

Would you? Do you think? Are you? This is based on hypotheticals!

e.g. How did you figure out how to get here?Did you use Google Maps?

e.g. What would you change about your shopping experience?Would you like bigger aisles?

ExerciseYou’re developing a competitor to Open Table.What tasks would you give them?

Let Them Talk You Through Your Product

A clear test purpose:

•What questions are you answering?

•What do you think your answers are now?

Getting Started with User TestingDiane Loviglio (diane@mozilla.com)

Jinghua Zhang (jinghua@mozilla.com)Mozilla User Research