Should take <30 mins, unless you are paying the user
Shouldn't use vocabulary specific to your product
Should have a clear outcome
Examples
Send an SMS to your phone
Buy a phone number in your area code
Boxconfig - Find a recent 500 server error
Your boss at a small business wants an application he can use to
send text messages to customers. Research possible solutions and make a
recommendation to your boss.
Make a call from your browser to your phone
Set up your Twilio number to forward to your cellphone
Before the test
If you are recording their voice or face, ask permission
Tell the user to bring their own equipment
Ask about the user's background
Tell the user we are testing the product, not them
Ask them to think aloud during the test
Give them the task
The number one rule during a test
The number one rule
During the test
In general, DON'T ask questions or interrupt the user. But if you have to,
be very careful not to bias the user. Here are some good unbiased questions.
"What are you thinking about?"
"What were you expecting to see when you clicked that button?"
"What are you trying to do now?"
"I see you clicked on (button X)..."
Bad questions
"Why didn't you click on the red button?"
"Did you see (the menu option/the blue box)?"
Other common problems/questions
"Is this the right place to click?"
"I don't know what to do."
"I'm stuck."
<silence>
"Well it looks like this is the documentation over here, and this is where I'd click to sign up for an account, and oh this looks neat, ..."