Telling clients what is it

Sometimes clients and collaborators will wonder what user testing is.

This gives an impression, based on an email we sent to Green Party of England and Wales to let them know how it works.

What user testing is

Testing is a phrase that maybe gives the wrong impression, in terms of something to be passed or failed. User testing is instead about learning how something works, by watching someone using it, so you can improve it.

How user testing works

We are going to be testing a prototype of a new membership sign up flow for an organisation website, in a mocked up prototype using a piece of software called Figma. The testing begins from the user searching for the organisation on Google or finding it via a social media post, through to adding their details to a sign up form and so on, all the way through to some new features that we are considering adding in.

Every test might be the same, or we might end up testing variants depending on how they go.

After a warm up and some general questions, we present the prototype and ask them to complete the sign up, casting their mind back to when they initially signed up on the website.

We watch carefully how the participants interact with the website. During this process, we will be asking open ended questions about what they are thinking about the work: how does it make them feel, how do they think it is going to work, “You look confused, is this confusing?“ and so on. Watching them interact with it teaches us a lot about flaws in the design, where there are mistakes, what things work and what things don’t.

We will then ask some wrap up questions and thank the participant for their time. We will also perhaps keep them informed of when the thing goes live, as it is nice for them to see their work in the flesh.

Usually such sessions are recorded so they can be analysed later, but we take consent for this before the start of the session and explain (as we are legally and ethically obligated to!) what this means, how it will be used and so on. The participant signs a consent form to this effect. We can do it without recording as well, though this tends to yield slightly less insight.

An analogue from politics is something like a focus group. This is all about learning more about the problem, seeing what flaws there are in our current solution or ideas before investing time in building it into real code. This isn’t about being absolutely led by what you find in these sessions, but is about being better informed about the choices you make.

While its good to visibility on how it works, it is better for the testing if people come to it relatively cold, so they don’t have pre-existing expectations and are reacting as naturally as possible. Normally the amount of information in the recruitment form is enough to get people to sign up.

People understand they are going to be seeing some new thing, related to membership (for example) and to do with the website. We can of course add a bit more detail if the client / collaborator thinks it necessary.

Consent Form Template

What this study is about

The purpose of this study is to understand how people use [insert product name]. Your participation in this study will help us make the product easier to use.

Your participation in this study is voluntary

You can take a break at any time. Just tell the researcher if you need a break. You can leave at any time without giving a reason.

Information we want to collect

We will ask you to show us how you use the product. We will watch how you do various tasks and we will ask you some questions. We will record the session and we will take notes to record your comments and actions.

How we ensure your privacy

People on the design team will view the session as you take part. Other people involved in the design of the product may watch the recording of your session in the future. These recordings will be treated as confidential and will not be shared outside our company. All recordings will be deleted within three months of the session.

We may publish research reports that include your comments and actions but your data will be anonymous. This means your name and identity will not be linked in our research reports to anything you say or do.

Your consent

Please sign this form showing that you consent to us collecting these data.

I give my consent:

• For people to observe me during the research.
• For the session to be recorded.
• For people on the design team to watch the recording in the future.

If you want to withdraw your consent in the future, contact the person named below who will destroy any personal data we hold about you (such as the recordings). Otherwise, we will delete your personal data after three months.

[Insert data controller's name and contact details]

Facilitator Notes

• Explain the context, why we're doing it
• Explain it being recorded
• Ensure consent form signed – ideally this is done beforehand
• General questions (how long have you been in the party, etc?)
• Process before that (10 minutes or so)
  • Do you go to meetings?
• Just a prototype
  • Not everything works
  • I didn't make this
• Get them to share screen
  • Go through prototype
  • Don't talk
  • Ignore the cursor
  • Don't let people look to you as an authority
• We'll let you know when it goes live, so you can see what you've helped create and tell your friends