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A fillable template can be found here: Usability testing template - UX Enablement | Habilitation de l'expérience utilisateur - Confluence (atlassian.net) 

What is it? 

A usability testing template includes the typical tasks and questions needed for a usability study. Using a template helps streamline the research process and ensures consistency across testing sessions. 

Why is it valuable? 

When conducting a usability test, it can be easy to ask a leading question or give a clue that may prime the participant’s behaviour. Having a testing template is valuable because it ensures that the study is focused and objective. A testing template also allows you to run consistent tests across participants, making the results more reliable and easier to compare.  

When to use it? 

Usability tests are valuable tools that can be used during the Test or Evaluate phases of the UX process. In the Test phase, a usability test can help validate that a new solution is clear and easy to use before it is released. If an area of the application is causing problems for users, a usability test can also be used during the Evaluate phase to uncover detailed information and help track usability improvements over time. 

How to use it? 

1. Define the research goal 

Identify the areas of interest and purpose for the research. What hypotheses are you looking to validate? 

2. Choose the participants 

Recruit representative participants based on demographics, like behavioral traits, attitudes, and goals. This is a great opportunity to leverage your personas. Determine how many participants you need to get the information you are looking for. Once you have recruited your research participants, ensure that you have told them what to expect during the session and have gotten their consent to participate.

3. Prepare the tasks 

Write the tasks that users will perform during the study. Tasks are written in the form of realistic scenarios and should align to the research goal. Tasks typically fall into two categories, exploratory and specific.  

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Specific tasks are more focused and typically have a correct answer or objective. For example: Purchase a Marine Insurance Wreck certificate using a credit card.  

4. Define research roles 

Usability test sessions require two mandatory roles, moderator and note taker. The moderator facilitates the test by providing an introduction, asking background questions, administering the scenarios and rating questions, and debriefing. The key responsibilities of the note taker are to capture the start and end time of tasks and the results of the scenarios and rating questions. However, they are also responsible for capturing any other key observations, like moments of hesitation or confusion by the participant.  

Observers can also be included to see first-hand how participants perform the tasks. However, it is important to create an environment where the participant can focus on the tasks and feels comfortable expressing themselves freely. Observers can help to create this environment by not engaging with the participant while they are completing the study, unless previously agreed upon by the research team. 

5. (Bonus) Conduct a pilot study 

A pilot study is when you test the structure of the usability test. This can be helpful to ensure that the questions and tasks flow smoothly, and members of the research team have a chance to practice their roles. This can be done by having another member of the team participate in lieu of the user.  

Template

Usability testing template - Modèle de test d'utilisabilité.docx

Resources 

Checklist for Planning Usability Studies (nngroup.com) 

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