Testing is the process of getting users to test and evaluate a product, feature, or prototype. All design projects should undergo user testing because:
- The team and product owners know too much about the technology and project.
- Testing is a lot less expensive than building something nobody will use.
What: Users test the product and share feedback about their experience.
Why: To understand if the product meets their needs based on what they expect and want; to determine if there are possibilities to design better workflows; to identify where to direct communication and training efforts.
When: Done during the early to mid design phase to ensure the design is working appropriately before investing more time in building the product.
How: During testing, users are observed trying to complete goals and asked follow-up questions so we can understand their patterns, behaviors, frustrations, etc.
Users may be asked to consider:
- Tasks where they got frustrated, stuck, or gave up -- their pain points
- Alignment between the product’s design and what they expect (e.g. The button is there but not where they expect it to be)
- Wording, imagery, icons – are they correct, clear, confusing, offensive?
- Is the product design aesthetically pleasing? Is it fun to use?
