Usability Testing vs Market Research - GatechVIP/no-code GitHub Wiki

Usability testing is not asking users for their opinion on a product. Usability testing is giving the user a prototype of a design, and seeing how they react to it (with, or without the experimenter interacting with the user).

Four basic goals of user testing:

  • Efficiency: How much time, and how many steps, are required for people to complete basic tasks?
  • Accuracy: How many mistakes did people make?
  • Recall: How much does the person remember afterwards about the design or after periods of non-use?
  • Emotional response: How does the person feel about the tasks completed? Is the person confident, stressed?

Keep these four goals in mind. When you present your prototype, don't handhold or accommodate the user. See what the user instinctively clicks and and he doesn't. See how he learns how to perform basic tasks. See if the user can successful completes the scenario goals. You may provide instructions or hints, but don't do the tasks for him; the point of this user test if your design answers your scenario's question.

Perhaps at the end of the user testing session, you may ask general questions about the design, as well as the user's opinion.

Market Research: Tell the user about the goals of the design, and the specific scenario associated with it (in this case, history paper) Go through each feature one by one. See what users instinctively click on. Take note of any questions they ask.

  1. What do you think of (this) feature?
  2. What do you like about (this feature)?
  3. What do you think is missing?
  4. Are there any other online services (this) reminds you of? What feature from (the other service) do you think is missing from ours?
  5. Does (this) fit with our overall project goals?

Usability Testing Wikipedia

Main Questions to Ask User

  1. Does group collaboration contribute to your learning?

  2. What is the most important feature to you and why?

  3. How can any real-time tool be improved to be aid your learning curve?

  4. Do you see real time collaboration tools imitating a classroom setting to an extent where there will no longer be a need to physically go to a classroom? What is the need to be present in a classroom vs. learning online?

  5. How much do users know the tool once you've explained how it works? Where are they unclear?