Course 4 – Conduct UX Research and Test Early Concepts

Week 2: Conducting Research with Usability Studies

Google Ux Design Professional Certificate

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TABLE OF CONTENT

Conducting Research with Usability Studies INTRODUCTION

As part of the Google UX Design Professional Certificate course on Conducting Research with Usability Studies offered through Coursera, you’ll learn how to conduct usability studies. Usability studies are an important research method used to assess how easy it is for people to complete core tasks in a design.

In this part of the course, you’ll also explore how to reduce bias and be inclusive when conducting usability studies. Finally, you’ll gain skills in taking notes while observing participants in a usability study. Through integrating these topics into your own practice, you can create meaningful experiences that work well for everyone who interacts with them.

Learning Objectives

  • Take notes during a usability study
  • Discuss best practices to reduce bias when interviewing
  • Explain potential biases involved in moderating interviews
  • Apply techniques to build rapport with study participants
  • Explain how to conduct a moderated and an unmoderated usability study
  • Describe why and how to use usability studies

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF USABILITY STUDIES

1. Why are usability studies important for UX research?

  • They allow designers a final opportunity to get user feedback before production.
  • They solicit positive feedback from users.
  • They provide user feedback that helps the design team make improvements to the user experience. (CORRECT)

Correct: Usability studies assess the difficulty of completing core tasks in a design.

2. In unmoderated usability studies, participants test out the prototypes without human guidance. What are some benefits of an unmoderated usability study? Select all that apply.

  • Participants remain fully engaged as they complete the activities.
  • Participants operate the product in a real-world environment. (CORRECT)
  • Participants complete the tasks on their own time and in their own space. (CORRECT)
  • Participants may feel more comfortable giving feedback without others around. (CORRECT)

Correct: Researchers can learn how a user interacts with the product without guidance from a moderator.

Correct: Unmoderated usability studies provide participants more flexibility to complete activities, which may help them feel more comfortable about giving feedback. It also allows them to operate the product in a real-world environment.

Correct: Unmoderated usability studies may help participants be more transparent when no one else is present. They also allow participants to operate products in a real-world environment and complete tasks on their own time, which may help participants feel more comfortable giving feedback.

3. Which of the following is a limitation of a moderated usability study?

  • The moderator can build rapport with participants.
  • The moderator guides the participant through the study.
  • The moderator can influence participants. (CORRECT)
  • The moderator can follow up in real time.

Correct: Moderator influence or bias towards the participants is a limitation of this type of study.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ON USABILITY STUDY BEST PRACTICES

1. When conducting a usability study for a UX design prototype, what are some components that should be included? Select all that apply.

  • Assumptions of participant reactions
  • Sufficient sample of participants (CORRECT)
  • Follow-up prompts or questions for participants (CORRECT)
  • List of tasks for participants to complete (CORRECT)

Correct: Usability studies should include participant sample sizes large enough to uncover major user issues, but small enough to keep the cost down. Participants should be provided with a list of tasks to complete and follow-up prompts or questions to answer.

Correct: Usability studies should have a sufficient sample size, and participants should be provided with a list of tasks to complete as well as follow-up prompts or questions to answer.

Correct: Usability studies should have a sufficient sample size, and participants should be provided with a list of tasks to complete as well as follow-up prompts or questions to answer.

2. A UX team is building an app for a pharmacy pick-up service. They want to test a prototype in an unmoderated usability study. What should the researcher pay attention to while viewing the video of the participants?

  • How each user responds to the tasks they are asked to perform (CORRECT)
  • How the app’s code was written
  • How well the app performed for the users who successfully completed each task
  • How the app looks in the video

Correct: It’s important to collect feedback while watching the users interact with the prototype. This helps researchers understand how easily users can complete the desired task.

3. During a moderated usability study, what techniques should you employ to effectively communicate with participants? Select all that apply.

  • Ask leading questions
  • Ask open-ended questions (CORRECT)
  • Expand participant feedback with follow-up questions (CORRECT)
  • Repeat participant feedback for clarity (CORRECT)

Correct: During a moderated usability study, you should ask participants open-ended questions, expand the conversation around their feedback with follow-up questions, and ask them to repeat their responses for confirmation or clarity.

Correct: If a participant’s feedback seems unclear, repeat it back to them for confirmation. To avoid leading participants into a specific answer, begin by asking participants open-ended questions and expand the conversation around their feedback with follow-up questions.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ON POTENTIAL BIASES DURING INTERVIEW MODERATION

1. A UX researcher is conducting a usability study for a banking app. Some of the participants include people over the age of 60. The researcher assumes the participants will have difficulty using some of the app’s features due to their age. What type of bias is the researcher displaying?

  • Social desirability bias
  • Friendliness bias
  • Implicit bias (CORRECT)
  • Serial position effect

Correct: This is an example of implicit bias because of the researcher’s stereotypes about people in that age group.

2. At the beginning of a usability study, the moderator establishes a very strong rapport with the participants. As a result, the participants provide only positive feedback on the design prototype. What type of bias are the study participants displaying?

  • Friendliness bias (CORRECT)
  • Serial position effect
  • Implicit bias

Correct: Friendliness bias is the tendency of people to agree with those they like in order to maintain a nonconfrontational conversation. In this case, the participants want to agree with the moderator.

3. A designer conducts a usability study to get feedback on a map feature for a delivery app. One of the interview questions asks, “Did you like using the map feature to track your deliveries?” Which type of bias may occur if participants provide only favorable feedback?

  • Implicit bias
  • Serial position effect
  • Social desirability bias (CORRECT)

Correct: The study question only asks participants to reflect on the positive aspects of their experience with a product. This may result in social desirability bias.

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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ON BIAS DURING INTERVIEWS

1. Which of the following is a good example of an open-ended interview question?

  • Would you recommend this product to a friend?
  • What tasks were difficult to understand or accomplish, and why? (CORRECT)
  • Was the product easy to use?
  • Did you enjoy the designs?

Correct: Open-ended questions like this one allow participants to give honest feedback.

2. Implicit bias is the tendency for people to answer questions in a way that will be viewed favorably by others.

  • True
  • False (CORRECT)

Correct: Social desirability bias is the tendency for people to answer questions in a way that will be viewed favorably. Implicit bias is the collection of attitudes and stereotypes we associate to people without our conscious knowledge.

3. Fill in the blank: To reduce the chance of designer biases leading you down the wrong path, you should define the _____ criteria  before conducting interviews.

  • digital
  • design
  • research (CORRECT)
  • fidelity

Correct: To reduce the chance of designer biases leading you down the wrong path, you should define the research criteria before conducting interviews.

4. At what point in the design process can you conduct usability studies? Select all that apply.

  • When you identify the design problem
  • When you have an interactive prototype (CORRECT)
  • When you have a low-fidelity prototype (CORRECT)
  • When the product is complete (CORRECT)

Correct: This is the most common time to conduct a study because it gives the design team insight on what needs to be revised or added before the product launches. Usability studies can also be conducted once there is a low-fidelity prototype, or when the product is complete.

Correct: Also called concept testing, you can conduct a usability study in this stage of the design process. They can also be conducted once there is an interactive prototype, or when the product is complete.

Correct: Once the product is complete, you may want to conduct a usability study to change a feature of the product, or test it with a specific group of people. Usability studies can also be conducted once there is an interactive or low-fidelity prototype.

5. What is a benefit of moderated usability studies?

  • They allow the moderator to ask specific questions and follow up in real time. (CORRECT)
  • They allow participants to complete tasks on their own time and in their own space.
  • They make it easier to see how a participant uses the product in the real world.
  • They may allow participants to feel more comfortable giving feedback without others around.

Correct: Having a moderator present is beneficial because they can collect more information to improve the design by asking specific questions and following up in real time.

6. What are the benefits of conducting unmoderated usability studies? Select all that apply.

  • They allow real-time feedback.
  • They encourage more honest feedback. (CORRECT)
  • They give participants time and space to complete tasks on their own. (CORRECT)
  • They provide more accurate user experiences to analyze. (CORRECT)

Correct: Since unmoderated usability studies aren’t guided by a person, participants may feel more comfortable providing feedback without others around. This can result in more honest feedback, especially if certain participants are sensitive to the influence or presence of other people.

Correct: Since there isn’t a person guiding the study, unmoderated usability studies give participants more time and space to complete tasks on their own. Unmoderated usability studies also provide more accurate user experiences to analyze, and may encourage more honest feedback from participants.

Correct: Since unmoderated usability studies don’t have a person guiding participants, it’s easier to observe how the product is used in the real world. They also give participants time and space to complete tasks on their own which, in turn, may encourage more honest feedback.

7. How can you reduce the possibility of influencing participants during a usability study interview?

  • Remind participants they’re not being tested
  • Keep emotions neutral (CORRECT)
  • Build a rapport
  • Remind participants to be open and honest

Correct: Your mood should not impact your judgement or influence participants’ feedback. Make time to reflect on your emotional state before the usability study begins. This helps you separate your emotions from what goes on during the study.

8. What is the first step you should take to lessen the influence of bias when interviewing?

  • Let participants express themselves fully and in their own words
  • Phrase interview questions thoughtfully
  • Identify and admit your own biases (CORRECT)
  • Be mindful of your body language

Correct: The first step you can take to lessen the influence of bias when interviewing is to identify and admit your own biases. By acknowledging your own biases, you can be more objective as you conduct a usability study. You may need help doing this, so it could be useful to actively seek input as you come to understand your biases.

9. In a moderated study, how can the moderator avoid making biased assumptions about how a participant feels from their body language or tone of voice?

  • Repeat the participant’s actions to make them feel comfortable.
  • Ask the participant how they felt at the point in the study where they appeared to show an emotion. (CORRECT)
  • Encourage the participant to stop reacting to the question in that way.
  • Make assumptions based on other participants’ reactions.

Correct: Asking participants how they feel when they appear to show emotion helps to avoid bias in a usability study.

10. You are considering when you should conduct a usability study on the app you are creating. When are common times in a product’s lifecycle for usability studies to be conducted? Select all that apply.

  • After empathy interviews have been conducted and stakeholders have a better idea of the app.
  • When you have an interactive prototype, which will give the design team insight on what needs to be revised or added before the product launches (CORRECT)
  • When the product is complete, which allows you to change a feature or test if the product is usable with a specific group of people (CORRECT)
  • For concept testing, when you have an early idea, like a low-fidelity prototype that is only somewhat interactive (CORRECT)

11. You are considering using a moderated usability test for the prototype. Your client inquires about the limitations that a moderated approach might have. What limitation could you identify for your client?

  • The moderator could influence or bias the participants by accidentally letting their own thoughts or feelings come into the study. (CORRECT)
  • The moderator could address any technical issues that participants may encounter.
  • The moderator could connect with the participants and make them feel at ease in the prototype they are testing.
  • The moderator could ask follow up questions to the participants in real time.

12. You are ready to moderate the usability study for the prototype. When you interact with the participants, what should your mood and demeanor be?

  • Cheery, so participants are more likely to provide positive feedback about the prototype
  • Pessimistic, so you will be pleasantly surprised if participants provide positive feedback
  • Humorous, so you put the study participants at ease
  • Neutral, so you do not influence or bias participants (CORRECT)

13. You are moderating the usability study for your prototype. One of the participants makes an observation about the navigation, and you are unsure of what they are referring to. What would you do to better understand their comment?

  • Ask another participant to summarize what was said.
  • Summarize what the participant said and move on to the next topic.
  • Request that the participant use different words so you can understand what they are talking about.
  • Repeat back what you think the participant meant and allow them to correct or confirm the statement. (CORRECT)

14. You are ready to moderate a usability study for your prototype. Your UX design mentor reminds you to be mindful of any biases you may carry that could impact the study participants and the study itself. What biases might you have that could impact the usability study? Select all that apply.

  • Self-serving bias
  • Serial position effect (CORRECT)
  • Implicit or unconscious bias (CORRECT)
  • Friendliness bias (CORRECT)

15. During the usability study you are moderating, a participant makes an observation that you agree with. You nod your head and smile in agreement. What type of bias does this convey?

  • Confirmation bias
  • Friendliness bias (CORRECT)
  • Observation bias
  • Self-serving bias

16. The usability study on your prototype is being recorded. You are taking notes as the study is going on. A junior UX designer asks you why you are taking notes if the study is being recorded. What would you tell them? Select all that apply.

  • Note-taking allows a UX designer to be in real time and saves time overall as they do not have to go back and watch the recording.
  • Note-taking allows a UX designer to write down participant body language during a particular question or interaction. (CORRECT)
  • Note-taking allows a UX designer to capture additional thoughts during the usability study. (CORRECT)
  • Note-taking allows a UX designer to identify parts of the study at which participants have differing tones and emotions. (CORRECT)

17. During the usability study, a participant states, “The icons are confusing and I do not find them helpful at all.” You are taking notes in the spreadsheet you have created. In which category would you place this information from the participant?

  • Task completion
  • Task
  • Click path
  • Observation (CORRECT)

18. You are planning to conduct an unmoderated usability study for your prototype. Your client asks you what the benefits are of an unmoderated usability study. What would you tell them? Select all that apply.

  • An unmoderated usability study allows participants to be guided through specific tasks.
  • An unmoderated usability study will help you see how the participant would experience your product without being guided for each step. (CORRECT)
  • An unmoderated usability study allows participants to complete tasks on their own time and in their own space. (CORRECT)
  • An unmoderated usability study may allow participants to feel more comfortable giving feedback without others around. (CORRECT)

19. You are taking notes in your spreadsheet during the usability study for your prototype. You have asked participants to follow a specific prompt and then, when observing, you assign numbers in one of your spreadsheet categories based on how the users followed the prompt. Which spreadsheet category would you use number values for? 

  • Task
  • Task completion (CORRECT)
  • Click path
  • Observations

20. You let your client know that you are ready to conduct a usability study on the app you are creating for them. Your client is worried about the risks involved with a usability study. What would you tell them?

  • Usability studies are just a checkbox that is marked in the design process. The user feedback does not really matter so there is low to no risk.
  • Usability studies give UX designers a way to test their designs and get feedback without much risk and with a lot of reward. (CORRECT)
  • Usability studies have a high degree of risk because the user feedback may not be positive and the designs may need to drastically change.
  • Usability studies have no risk whatsoever. User feedback is gathered and the UX designer can implement it or not.

21. You have decided that it is best to conduct an unmoderated usability study for the app you are creating. Your client asks you to explain what unmoderated means in this context. What would you say? Select all that apply.

  • A guide takes participants through the prototype and points them toward specific actions.
  • A guide is present but remains silent as participants explore the prototype.
  • The study is usually recorded on video, and the UX team reviews the video footage after the study. (CORRECT)
  • Participants test out the prototypes without human guidance. (CORRECT)

22. You are ready to start a moderated usability study for your prototype. The participants have arrived and are ready to go. What would you say to participants before the study begins?  Select all that apply.

  • Tell them that you are looking for positive feedback and comments about the prototype.
  • Let them know that their feedback is valuable and you appreciate their constructive criticism. (CORRECT)
  • Ask general questions about how they are and what their day has been like to build rapport. (CORRECT)
  • Thank them for coming and participating in the study. (CORRECT)

23. In the midst of moderating the usability study, a participant makes a statement that is unclear to you. You ask a follow-up question to clarify their answer. What are some examples of follow-up questions? Select all that apply.

  • Was it difficult?
  • Can you expand on that? (CORRECT)
  • Could you tell me more about that? (CORRECT)
  • What about that did you like? (CORRECT)

24. You are moderating the usability study for your prototype. One of the participants, who is a good friend of yours, states that they love the images used on a specific page. You agree and tell your friend how happy you are to hear that. What type of bias are you exhibiting?

  • Social desirability bias
  • Implicit bias
  • Friendliness bias (CORRECT)
  • Confirmation bias

25. Your UX design team is conducting a usability study on a prototype. The study participants have been chosen, and the UX design team is ready to conduct the study. Which members of the UX design team are expected to take notes during the study? Select all that apply.

  • The entry-level UX designers
  • The UX designers (CORRECT)
  • The UX researchers (CORRECT)
  • The UX writers (CORRECT)

26. During the usability study, you note how the study participants are navigating through the prototype. You want to document your observations in the spreadsheet you have created. Which category in the spreadsheet would you place this navigation insight under?

  • Click path (CORRECT)
  • Task completions
  • Observation
  • Task

27. You are preparing to moderate a usability study for your prototype. What can you do to help reduce bias during the study? Select all that apply.

  • Ask participants to write down any biases they may carry that will impact the usability study.
  • Ensure the usability study participants represent your key user group as well as user groups that are often marginalized. (CORRECT)
  • Phrase questions in a way that allows for a diversity of responses. (CORRECT)
  • Define the research criteria before the study begins. (CORRECT)

28. A participant in the usability study answers one of your questions with a sharp tone. You are convinced that this participant does not like the screen you are asking questions about. How would you confirm the participant’s response?

  • Ask the participant how they felt at the point in the study where they appeared to show an emotion. (CORRECT)
  • Ask the participant if they liked the screen or not.
  • Ask the other study participants if they heard the response the way you did.
  • Ask the participant why their tone changed.

29. You are planning a usability study for the app you are creating. You need to decide which type of usability study you will conduct. What are the types of usability studies?

  • Moderated and unmoderated (CORRECT)
  • Conventional and unconventional
  • Independent and dependent
  • Common and uncommon

30. As you are moderating the usability study for your prototype, you notice that participants are focusing on the positive aspects of their experience with the prototype and are minimizing  the negative aspects. You are worried they are exhibiting social desirability bias. What can you do to negate this bias?

  • Provide participants with a series of statements that came from other users, ask them which statement they relate to, and emphasize that there is no correct answer.
  • Remind participants that you actually need honest feedback in order to improve the product. (CORRECT)
  • Ask the participants to write down their feedback and submit it to you so other participants are not influenced.
  • Provide a list of questions to the users in different orders so they do not put more emphasis on one part of the prototype over another part.

31. Your UX design mentor has recommended that you use a spreadsheet to record notes from the usability study for your prototype. They have advised you to create categories so you can organize your notes. In which category would you record the prompts that the participant will be guided to complete during the study?

  • Observations
  • Tasks (CORRECT)
  • Click path
  • Task completion

32. You are creating a spreadsheet to organize your notes from the usability study you are conducting. You have created categories in the spreadsheet and want to input the prompts that the participant will be guided to complete during the study. Which category should this information go in?

  • Observations
  • Task completion
  • Click path
  • Task (CORRECT)

33. Your client has asked that the participants in the usability study be allowed to explore the prototype on their own. They want to use an unmoderated usability study. You are worried that this type of usability study will not provide the feedback you are looking for. What would you tell your client about the  limitations of an unmoderated usability study? Select all that apply.

  • Participants are oftentimes disrupted from their tasks by follow-up questions and other participants.
  • Certain participants, like single parents or night shift workers, will not be able to participate in the usability study.
  • Participants get a list of fixed questions and tasks, but if they have issues or need technical assistance, there’s often no one to help them. (CORRECT)
  • There is little to no control over the environment to ensure the participant’s full attention is focused on the key activities in the study. (CORRECT)

34. You are taking notes in your spreadsheet during the usability study of your prototype. Before the study, you added categories to your spreadsheet, including an observation category. What type of information would you populate in this category? Select all that apply.

  • The participant’s name and each of the prompts that the participant will be guided to complete during the study
  • The route the participants take to complete a task during the study
  • The participant’s tone of voice or attitude while completing the tasks in the prompt (CORRECT)
  • Information that may provide an indirect understanding of the behaviors and opinions of potential users (CORRECT)

35. You tell your client you are ready to start the usability study you have been preparing for. They ask you what the goal of the usability study is. How would you respond?

  • It assesses how many participants visit the site.
  • It assesses participants’ eye-patterning and how they view the pages in the design.
  • It assesses how easy it is for participants to complete core tasks in a design. (CORRECT)
  • It assesses the participants’ feelings on the images used and the coloring in the design.

36. You are ready to moderate the usability study for the prototype. You have prepared questions that are open-ended. What is an example of an open-ended question?

  • Did the navigation make sense to you?
  • What are your thoughts on the navigation? (CORRECT)
  • Did you like it?
  • Was it easy to navigate?

37. The usability study on your prototype is being recorded. You are taking notes as the study is going on. A junior UX designer asks you why you are taking notes if the study is being recorded. What would you tell them? Select all that apply.

  • Note-taking allows a UX designer to be in real time and saves time overall as they do not have to go back and watch the recording.
  • Note-taking allows a UX designer to write down participant body language during a particular question or interaction. (CORRECT)
  • Note-taking allows a UX designer to capture additional thoughts during the usability study. (CORRECT)
  • Note-taking allows a UX designer to identify parts of the study at which participants have differing tones and emotions. (CORRECT)

Conducting Research with Usability Studies CONCLUSION

In conclusion, conducting research with participants to get feedback about design is a key part of the UX design process. Usability studies are an invaluable research method, and this course will guide you on conducting them correctly to ensure accurate results. It is important to consider methods that reduce bias as well as ways to be more inclusive when hosting a usability study. In order to execute a successful usability study, note-taking is necessary to track observations for later review.

After completing this course, you’ll have all the tools and knowledge needed to take your design decisions from concept to reality by conducting thorough and relevant usability studies. So why wait? Join Coursera now and start on your way toward improving your designs with quality feedback from real users!

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