Go back

User testing is a key component of the design process and can be carried out as part of a design sprint. Testing a prototype often and early can uncover any overarching usability issues in a design and improve the user experience, whilst also validating the product idea with real users.

Here’s how it works…

Identify users and objectives

Users taking part in the testing process would be representative of the target audience, defined as the user personas.

User testing starts with defining the test objectives. Understanding the objective and what users are trying to achieve when testing a product are important to gain valuable information about specific parts of the design rather than receiving watered down feedback for the product as a whole.

Knowing what we want to test and what information we are expecting to find out is crucial to pinpoint before starting. This could be asking a user to complete a certain task, e.g. tracking a symptom, and what is stopping them from completing it. Objectives also maintain consistency across all tests.

The method

There are many different ways to carry out user testing, and this will be decided based upon the individual product and the stage that it is at. For prototypes, methods could include 1:1 interviews, group discussions and A/B testing. 1:1 user testing with a prototype allows a user to gain understanding of the product and we are able to take them through a series of scenarios to see how well they are able to complete a task.

Finding representative users that fit into the user persona is crucial to make sure the right people are testing the product. About 5 participants will be able to identify any key issues (if any) that are in the prototype. These testers should be independent and not know any background to the product. This will ensure there are no preconceived ideas about completing a task.

Interviews

Once participants have been recruited and the prototype is ready to test, the 1:1 interviews can take place. Here the tester will have access to the prototype. The test facilitator will ask them to complete a series of tasks, asking questions along the way such as;

• What are your initial thoughts on this?

• Where do you want to click next?

• How would you get to the (X) screen?

Having spoken to testers, all feedback is accumulated together to reveal the findings. This will provide us with insights into the product, for example, understanding whether there are any key issues, if the representative users would use the product, has anything been missed. These findings would be shared with all stakeholders.

Following this, the prototype will be expanded based on the discussed findings to further enhance the user experience and the product will be retested.