Testing has an evident weakness as it conditions us to overreact to the things we observe. At a DNA-level, designers want to fix problems, so we do our best to address issues as they surface.
Our collective tendency to always solve problems can work against us at this particular point in a project. You have to remain mindful of the major change that has occurred since you last conducted a product test with users.
The prototype now resembles a finished product, complete with typography, color, images, etc. These new additions are all fighting for attention and how your site functions are potentially less clear.
So if you receive negative comments, are they a reaction to poor usability or a disagreement over visual taste? The prior must be fixed, but the later — should be discussed.
Whether or not the criticism is justified doesn’t matter nearly as much as you take the time to hear it. Developing your ability to listen without reacting might be the most critical skill you gain.
Just remember opinions about how your project functions are far more critical than an opinion about a particular color or font they dislike. Functional problems only become more expensive when they make it into the product, so always fix those first.
Resources for review
Please use the following items to guide your exercise attempt:
| Article/Video | Source/Author |
|---|---|
| Getting connected | New Pragmatic |
| Participant Scheduling with Calendly | New Pragmatic |
| Your rivals aren’t doing it all wrong | New Pragmatic |
Exercise
Length: Four-to-six hours to complete.
As outlined in the outline on running remote sessions, a successful testing session doesn’t happen. Each takes a level of preparation and planning that goes beyond merely ‘talking to people.’
For this exercise, you’ll be utilizing the Zoom and Calendly accounts you created earlier.
- Create a script for your testing calls. Include details for each user flow you will be testing during the call.
- Select 3-to-5 members of your research cohort to invite to participate in this exercise. Make sure they are not all of the same demographic backgrounds.
- Craft a short email to send to each of your participants with a deadline to respond within 48 hours. Be sure to include your Calendly link.
- Test at least three user flows for your project. (use of Otter.ai for documentation highly recommended.)
- Record your observations after each test into a sharable Google Doc. Be sure to leverage Otter to keep from manually typing everything in.
///
Once complete, update your Program Journal with links to the assets produced for this exercise. Post your Journal in the #Feedback-Loop channel for review.
///
Up next Fresh Market: Prototype Update