If user testing is an essential stepof the design cycle of a service or a product, they are sometimes (often) the great forgotten of the Digital.
We offer you a guide to good AND bad practices.
Our advice will allow you to improve your technique.
Remember that the practice of user testing cannot be improvised.
Do not hesitate to use UX Researcher, specialized in testing, or else train with experts of these methods.
GOOD PRACTICES
USER TEST
“Don't look for praise. Look for criticism.”
Paul Arden, Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi
1] DEVELOP EMPATHY
Create contact with the interviewee and promote conversation as much as possible
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2 ] KEEP QUIET
Let the participant express themselves without cutting them off
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3 ] DELAYED RESTART
Bouncing on the words of your user does not happen automatically in the moment.
Sometimes, it is more interesting to let some time pass (keeping the follow-up in mind) in order to come back to it later in the interview.
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4 ] APPEAR SERIOUS
Keep a posture and a distanced attitude in order to preserve the status of the interviewer.
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5 ] SHOW A CERTAIN DISTANCE
Participate in the posture mentioned above.
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6 ] PROVOKE WITH TACT
Push the interviewees into their entrenchment and confront them with their contradictions without rushing them or upsetting them.
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7 ] CONTROL THE TIME
Manage the stopwatch. Your watch is a crucial element, you must constantly monitor the timing.
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8 ] AVOID FAMILIARITY
Putting at ease does not mean being familiar with the interviewee!
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9 ] ADAPTING TO THE TARGET
If formality is required, the level of language should be adapted.
For example, with a very young target, it is preferable to use familiar terms if you wish to have users verbalize.
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10 ] ADAPT THE LOCATION
En depending on the objectives of the test, it may be interesting to stick as closely as possible to the context of real use. Also, this sometimes requires leaving the laboratory to meet users at home or at least in places less formal than a test room where dialogue and conversation can be more open.
BAD PRACTICES
USER TEST
1 ] BE FRIENDLY
As previously explained, putting at ease does not mean being at Miami »
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2 ] ANTICIPATING RESPONSES
Do not preempt responses while your user is speaking. Give him time to analyze the situation and express himself.
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3 ] SPEAK UP FOR “CASH”
User testing requires data analysis work in order to obtain a meaningful result. You must therefore treat the comments of your users with caution.
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4 ] GIVE YOUR OPINION
Il it is imperative to remain neutral on the service or product tested so as not to influence the participants.
During a test, it is important not to let your opinion show through.
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5 ] CENSOR
The words of users must be recorded as such, even when they are negative. During the analysis, there will always be time to weight the content with all the tests.
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– Andrew Grove, former CEO at Intel Corp
"The quality of our communication is not determined by the quality of our words, but by the quality of our understanding."
To conclude
With this guide to good and bad practices, you will be able to find your way around your own implementation of user testing.
And don't forget that user testing requires real expertise. If they seem accessible, they require rigor, know-how and techniques. Do not hesitate to call on UX-Researchers or to train you user tests.
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