UX-1.5 User Research (Continued)
User Research (Continued)
Yesterday we covered interviews and surveys, today we're going to go over additional research methods such as usability tests and A/B tests.
Research Methods
Usability Tests
Usability testing involves asking potential or current users of a product or service to complete a set of tasks and then observing their behavior to determine the usability of the product or service. This can be done using a live version of a product, a prototype, or even paper and pen.
Moderated Usability Tests
These are the most common. They can take place in person, via screenshare, or video. In a moderated test, an unbiased facilitator talks with the user, reading aloud tasks and prompting the user to think aloud as he or she accomplishes the tasks. The facilitator's role is to act as a conduit between stakeholders and the user, phrasing questions to evaluate the effectiveness of a design and the assumptions while helping the user feel comfortable with the process.
Unmoderated Usability Tests
These are conducted online and at the user's convenience. The tasks and instructions are delivered via video or recorded audio and the user clicks a button to begin the test while their screen and audio is recorded. Just like the moderated test, users are encouraged to speak their thoughts aloud, though there is no facilitator to ask follow up questions. Unmoderated tests are available through numerous online sites and can be significantly cheaper than moderated tests.
Guerrilla Testing
This is a modern, lightweight take on traditional tests. It's typically done out in the community. Testers are found at coffee shops or subway stations and asked to complete basic tasks out of the goodness of their hearts. Guerrilla testing is usually best for products that have a large consumer base. It wouldn't make sense to go to a coffee shop and ask people to click through a mobile app that helps United pilots fly their plane.
A/B Tests
This is another way of learning what actions your users take. An A/B test is typically chosen as the appropriate research form when designers are struggling to choose between two competing elements. Whether the options are two styles of content, a button vs. a link, or two approaches to a home page design, an A/B test requires randomly showing each version to an equal number of users, and then reviewing analytics on which version better accomplishes a specific goal. A/B testing is particularly valuable when comparing a revised screen to an older version, or when collecting data to prove an assumption.
Conclusion
And there you have it! You now know the very basics of UX research!
Just so you are familiar with the different tools that exist for UX researchers, explore the following tools and read about all of the features that they offer to researchers so that they can perfect their product.
For today, we want you to conduct your first moderated usability test. Ask a friend for 20 minutes of their time, and run through a test as if you were a UX designer for Google Calendar.
Remember, as the interviewer in a moderated usability test, your role is to prompt the participant with a few tasks that they need to complete. It’s your job to watch how they go about completing those tasks and making a note of cases where they get held up.
Here are a few example tasks that you can prompt your interviewer to complete:
- Create a reminder notification for an event you have this week that will send you a reminder email 30 minutes before the start of the event
- Create an event that repeats every Monday and Tuesday and ends after 8 occurrences
- Create a repeating event that occurs once every two weeks
Remember, these first few interviews will feel very awkward and you may be struggling. That's exactly why we're practicing! The only way to become a better UX researcher is to run a few bad interviews and practice.
Once you run through an interview with a friend. Record a video of yourself talking about what you learned. This doesn't have to be fancy. Just download loom, talk to the camera and then share the link with us.
Pretend that you are presenting to the Product Owner of Google Calendar about what you learned from your interview.