5 tips for running usability tests

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

Introduction

Iterative usability testing is an extremely useful tool when it’s baked into the design process.

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

Introduction

Real feedback from users will give the design team the valuable insights they need to shape the product into something your customers will love.

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

Introduction

Here are 5 tips for running usability tests.

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

1. Remember the incentives

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

You need to thank people for their time and opinions.

1. Remember the incentives

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

The usual way to do this is with incentives...

1. Remember the incentives

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

On average, you can pay upwards of £50-£100 to be given to people upon completion of the test.

1. Remember the incentives

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

However, with the preparing of the designs and scripts, it’s easy to forget the cash to pay your participants.

1. Remember the incentives

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

Put a reminder in the calendar and get the incentives organised beforehand.

1. Remember the incentives

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

2. Make people feel welcome

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

Get to know them a little, thank them for their time and generally make them feel comfortable.

2. Make people feel welcome

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

Remind them that you aren’t testing them, rather the experience.

2. Make people feel welcome

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

Encourage them to ‘think aloud’.

2. Make people feel welcome

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

3. People are late (and early)

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

Make sure to plan plenty of time between sessions to reset.

3. People are late (and early)

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

While participants have to wait, they need a place to sit if there’s an issue with the scheduling.

3. People are late (and early)

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

4. Be mindful of existing customers

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

Using existing customers might be cheaper, but they will skip over usability issues which new customers might struggle with.

4. Be mindful of existing customers

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

5. Be wary of the seasoned tester!

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

5. Be wary of the seasoned tester!

It’s possible that some people have already attended their fair share of testing sessions and are just going through the motions to get their incentive.

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

5. Be wary of the seasoned tester!

Watch out for participants who are too eager to please!

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

5. Be wary of the seasoned tester!

Or have an unusually impressive grasp of technical language!

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

Thinking about embarking on a digital product design piece? Talk to us about how audience research can help to make it a success.

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

+44 (0) 203 7738175 hello@100shapes.com

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UX & design for broadcast and media brands

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100 Shapes — UX & design for broadcast and media brands

For advice and inspiration on effective UX & Design strategies visit: 100shapes.com/blog