PRACTICE QUIZ
Why are usability studies important for UX research?
Usability studies assess the difficulty of completing core tasks in a design.
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.
Researchers can learn how a user interacts with the product without guidance from a moderator. Explanation: 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. Explanation: 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.
Which of the following is a limitation of a moderated usability study?
Moderator influence or bias towards the participants is a limitation of this type of study. TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ON USABILITY STUDY BEST PRACTICES
When conducting a usability study for a UX design prototype, what are some components that should be included? Select all that apply.
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. Explanation: 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. Explanation: 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.
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?
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.
During a moderated usability study, what techniques should you employ to effectively communicate with participants? Select all that apply.
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. Explanation: 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
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?
This is an example of implicit bias because of the researcher’s stereotypes about people in that age group.
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 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.
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?
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. TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ON BIAS DURING INTERVIEWS
Which of the following is a good example of an open-ended interview question?
Open-ended questions like this one allow participants to give honest feedback.
Implicit bias is the tendency for people to answer questions in a way that will be viewed favorably by others.
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.
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.
To reduce the chance of designer biases leading you down the wrong path, you should define the research criteria before conducting interviews.
At what point in the design process can you conduct usability studies? Select all that apply.
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. Explanation: 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. Explanation: 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.
What is a benefit of moderated usability studies?
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.
What are the benefits of conducting unmoderated usability studies? Select all that apply.
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. Explanation: 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. Explanation: 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.
How can you reduce the possibility of influencing participants during a usability study interview?
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.
What is the first step you should take to lessen the influence of bias when interviewing?
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.
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?
Asking participants how they feel when they appear to show emotion helps to avoid bias in a usability study.
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.
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?
You are ready to moderate the usability study for the prototype. When you interact with the participants, what should your mood and demeanor be?
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?
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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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.
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.
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?
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?
A junior UX designer asks you why you have chosen to conduct a moderated usability study for the prototype. How would you respond? Select all that apply.
You are preparing to moderate a usability study on your prototype. You are worried that your own biases may influence the study participants. What can you do to reduce your biases?
Ready to test your recall?
Why are usability studies important for UX research?
How confident are you in this answer?