Step 1: Planning The Test

In this Step, you will:

Decide what sort of usability test you will run
Decide where you will run your usability test

Questions to Ask Before Starting

There are a few things you need to do to plan your test, not the least of which is figure out what you're testing. We know that this will be a usability test, but there are still many different things you could try to learn.

Remember, usability tests only test whether people CAN do things with a product. It won't test whether they like your product or want to use your product.

Before starting your test, answer the following questions.

Are you testing your own product or somebody else's? I often run usability tests on competitors in order to understand what they're doing wrong, but generally you'll run usability tests on your own product.
Are you testing a new feature or flow in an existing product, or are you testing a brand new product?
Are you testing a product or a prototype?
If you're testing a prototype, how complete will it be? In the case of an incomplete prototype, you'll want to keep your tasks very specific to the things that can be completed with the prototype.
Are you testing various different versions of a feature? For example, you could test three different versions of the registration flow in order to see which was least confusing.

Why Does This Matter?

Your answers to these questions will help you prepare for your test. Knowing exactly what you're testing beforehand lets you write good tasks and keep the scope of your testing limited.

Decide Between Remote and In-Person

Another big question you need to answer is whether you're going to do your testing in person or remotely. Even more than that, you'll need to decide whether you want your In-Person sessions to be in a lab or in your user's context or some other area. For remote testing, you'll need to decide whether you want moderated or unmoderated testing. Let's look at the pros and cons for all of those different options.

Environment	Pros	Cons
In Person - Lab	Controlled setting Everyone uses same device Easy to install prototypes on a lab computer Easy to record sessions Good for observers	Tends to have the most no-shows No understanding of the environment a product will be used in Can be intimidating for participants Limits participants to locals
In Person - User's Home or Office	Understand the environment a product will be used in Test on actual devices the product would be used on Get new ideas based on the environment	Can be expensive and difficult to set up Limits participants to places where you can travel Requires participants to let you into their homes or offices
In Person - Public Place	Quick and convenient Good for products that will be used in public places	Can be distracting Limits participants to locals May not be in your target persona
Remote - Screenshare	Quick and convenient Interview participants from all over the world Very few no-shows Understand user's preferred devices	Can't understand the entire environment Can be difficult for mobile or physical product testing
Remote - Unmoderated	Very quick and convenient No no-shows No moderator bias	Impossible to follow up on specific questions or redirect user during the test Can be difficult to test mobile or physical products Very hard to get good feedback on limited prototypes

Why Does This Matter?

Choosing the right environment for your tests can improve the ROI. For example, remote unmoderated testing can be cheaper and faster than in-person testing in the user's home, but you won't get the same depth of understanding.

Spend some time figuring out the appropriate environment for your tests. If you're just trying to learn basic usability of a web based product, remote, unmoderated testing might be perfect. If you need to test the in-context usage of a mobile product for a very specific audience, you may want to spend the time and money on an in person, in context study.

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