{"id":1152,"date":"2014-03-09T23:06:02","date_gmt":"2014-03-10T04:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/?p=1152"},"modified":"2018-07-23T11:26:17","modified_gmt":"2018-07-23T16:26:17","slug":"the-5-step-process-we-use-to-plan-conduct-usability-studies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/the-5-step-process-we-use-to-plan-conduct-usability-studies\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5-Step Process I Use to Plan & Conduct Usability Studies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past 15 years, I have conducted more than 400 usability tests on types of sites and apps. Here is my process<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

My\u00a0process for planning and conducting a usability study from start to finish includes 5 steps:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Discovery<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Recruiting & Scheduling<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Script Development<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Facilitation<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Analysis & Findings<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Below is a brief overview of each step.<\/p>\n

    1. Discovery: Laying the Groundwork<\/b><\/h2>\n

    In this phase, I will\u00a0learn about the objectives of your usability study: what<\/i> you want to specifically learn and who<\/i> you want to test your site or software. I\u00a0use this information to write a usability<\/b> test plan<\/b>.<\/p>\n

    The test plan includes every detail that will be used for recruiting participants and developing the script, plus the testing methodology<\/b>\u00a0I will use and the overall schedule. It\u2019s the foundation for everything that lies ahead.<\/p>\n

    There are several types of testing methodologies and hybrid approaches I\u00a0use when conducting a usability study. One of the most common is called the \u201cthink-aloud methodology<\/b>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Think-Aloud Method –<\/i><\/strong>
    \nSimply, I\u00a0ask the participant to \u201cthink aloud\u201d as they complete each task. This inner dialog gives us insight into what is frustrating, interesting, confusing, and so on, so that I\u00a0can understand where to explore more deeply<\/strong>. This information also gives me\u00a0important clues as to how a usability issue might be best resolved.<\/p>\n

    But\u2026 I’m\u00a0careful to not rely too much on what the participant says<\/strong>. What comes out of their mouth sometimes is not a true reflection<\/strong> of their experience.<\/p>\n

    This is why usability study facilitators are more interested in user<\/strong> behaviors<\/b> rather than opinions<\/strong> (better suited for a focus group study) or preferences<\/strong> (better suited for A\/B testing or an online quantitative study).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Once the test plan is approved, I\u00a0move into recruiting and script development.<\/p>\n

    To learn more about the number and types of issues that I\u00a0see in a typical usability study, please read my\u00a0post Confusing, Incomplete Content Creates the Most Usability Issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0<\/b>Recruiting & Scheduling: Finding the Right People<\/b><\/h2>\n

    The recruiting process makes or breaks the quality of any usability study. I\u00a0use a rigorous approach<\/strong> to ensure I\u00a0find participants who truly represent your customers or users.<\/p>\n

    The output from this phase includes 2 documents: the screener<\/b> and the participant schedule. <\/b>Working from the test plan, I\u00a0develop a \u201cscreener\u201d (a phone script or online survey) to help me\u00a0find the right participants \u2014 and weed out those who are not a good match.<\/p>\n

    The aptly named \u201cparticipant schedule\u201d includes a list of the participants, the date and time of each session, and background information about each person (e.g., age, household income, profession).<\/p>\n

    Once the screener is approved, I\u00a0move\u00a0onto recruiting.<\/p>\n

    I\u00a0find high-quality participants<\/strong> using one or more of the following methods:<\/p>\n