Explore the various methods for collecting insights, conducting tests, and applying research techniques. |
This article applies to: UserTesting
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Benchmark test
- Benchmarking tests measure the baseline experience of your design or service to compare against future iterations.
- Run a benchmark test on your current experience, then repeat it after updates or to compare with a competitor.
- Use consistent metrics in benchmark tests (such as rating scales or explicit success criteria) to make direct comparisons against the benchmarks.
- Each test in a benchmark study should use the same tasks and metrics to accurately track design progress.
Card sort
- Card sort tests reveal how respondents group and label content.
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Run a card sort to learn how people categorize information.
- The content organization you design after a card sort can be tested via a tree test.
Comparison test (Preference test, A/B test, Experiment)
- Comparison tests provide feedback on one design as compared to other designs.
- Run a comparison test during discovery to compare your design against competitor designs.
- Use a comparison test early to evaluate design options and later to compare an updated design to the current one.
- Comparison tests may not yield a clear “winner,” but they can highlight each design's strengths and weaknesses.
- Follow-up preference tests, A/B tests, or experiments with a significant sample size can identify a winning design but require more time and effort.
Competitor test
- Competitor tests use any of the listed test types in this article to evaluate a competitor's design instead of your own.
- The goal is to understand the competitor’s design enough to create relevant tasks and questions while gathering insights to improve your own.
Concept test
- Concept tests help you collect insights on an idea before you build out too much detail.
- Run a concept test to evaluate a design idea presented as text, a short video, or a static illustration.
- Use concept tests to validate or refine your design direction early, before significant time or budget is spent.
Content
- Content tests gather feedback on your design's content rather than its navigation or interaction.
- Run a content test whenever you have a non-interactive illustration or words (such as taglines or email subject lines) that you want feedback on.
Discovery interview
- Discovery interviews help uncover a customer’s background, goals, expectations, and views on current experiences.
- Run discovery interviews early in product or service planning or to identify opportunities to address customer needs.
Ethnography study (light ethnography, customer environment, and context)
- Ethnography studies allow you to deeply understand the user and their environment.
- “Light” ethnography refers to limited ethnographic research for insights without committing to extensive site visits.
- Conduct these studies to understand environmental factors, such as physical surroundings and social influences, like how children or older adults in the home impact technology use.
First impression test/First-click test
- First impression tests provide insights into users’ initial reactions to a design.
- Run a first impression test at the start of user research to assess whether contributors understand the design, its audience, and its purpose.
- Asking, “Who do you think this is designed for?” is an excellent question for a first impression test.
- A first-click test assesses where a contributor initially clicks to complete a task.
Longitudinal study (diary study, multi-touchpoint study)
- Longitudinal studies involve interacting with the same contributor over time, such as testing when they first download software and conducting weekly tests during their first month of use.
- Run longitudinal studies to explore users’ experiences with existing products before creating a new one or to understand how a new product is used over time in real-world settings.
Needs assessment
- Needs assessment studies help customers identify gaps in their current product or service and rank potential features based on how well they meet their needs.
- Conduct a needs assessment early in the process to identify user needs for new offerings or features.
- Run a needs assessment to gather user feedback on how they expect new offerings or features to work and to identify their top priorities.
Omnichannel study
- Omnichannel studies collect insights from customers across different modes of interaction.
- For example, an omnichannel study might explore the customer’s experience researching and purchasing a product online, tracking the order on their smartphone, and receiving it at home.
- Conduct omnichannel studies for experiences that involve multiple interaction modes as contributors work toward a single goal.
Survey (pilot)
- Surveys collect feedback from contributors through self-completed forms, mainly using closed-ended questions with some open-ended options.
- Surveys are typically distributed to a statistically significant number of contributors, but they should first be piloted with a small unmoderated test to observe contributors’ experiences completing them.
- Use surveys to gather extensive background information or contributor ratings of an experience, and always pilot the survey before full distribution.
Tree test
- Tree tests evaluate whether contributors can locate content by navigating a text-only version of your content structure.
- Conduct a tree test to identify issues with your current content organization or to validate a reorganization based on a card sort.
Usability test (prototype test, live site test, navigation test)
- Usability testing gathers insights into which aspects of your designs simplify or hinder goal completion.
- Conduct usability tests throughout the product development lifecycle—starting with low-fidelity prototypes, progressing to high-fidelity prototypes during design and development, and continuing with live sites and apps.
- A usability test will provide feedback on navigation, interaction, content, and visual design.
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