How to Conduct a Usability Test
When designing a new product, there are always risks. Will users understand how to use it? Will they even want to use it?
Usability interviews are a great way to get answers to these questions. By talking to potential users and observing how they interact with your product, you can catch problems early and improve the design before launch.
Here’s a guide on how to conduct a usability interview, from choosing the right participants to asking the right questions.
How to Choose the Right Participants
Finding the right participants is one of the most important parts of usability testing. Make sure you’re talking to people who actually represent your target market; otherwise, their feedback won’t be very relevant. Good places to find participants include subreddits, Facebook groups, and Craigslist.
Try to get a range of different types of users. For example, if you’re testing a social media app, include heavy, moderate, and light users. This way, you’ll get a well-rounded view of how different people interact with your product. Also, choose participants who are comfortable talking about their experiences and sharing feedback openly. You want people who feel at ease so you get honest, unfiltered insights.
How to Ask the Right Questions
Once you have your participants, it’s time to ask questions. The goal is to understand how real users interact with your product, so avoid leading them too much. Instead, let them take the lead, and observe their behavior carefully. Here are some examples of open-ended questions to ask:
- “Can you tell me what you were trying to do when you first arrived on this page?”
- “What did you think this button was going to do?”
- “Can you walk me through what you did after you saw this error message?”
- “What were your thoughts when you saw this design?”
These types of questions encourage users to talk through their thought processes, which can reveal both what’s working and what’s confusing about your design.
Final thought
Usability testing is one of the best ways to reduce risks around product value and usability before a launch. By speaking with potential users and observing their behavior, you get invaluable feedback on how people interact with your product and which areas need improvement. If you’re working on a new product, usability testing should be an essential part of your research plan.
