UX Fundamentals: User Testing

Name: UX Fundamentals: User Testing
Rating: 4.5 (2802 reviews)

Get better in UX by understanding your users

Created byGreg Rog

Last updated 3/2019

English

English [Auto],Spanish [Auto],

What you'll learn

User Testing Basics
UX Resources and Tips
Useful techniques for gathering information
Best tools to perform User Tests

Course content

1 section • 22 lectures • 3h 23m total length

Introduction1:22
Explore why user testing matters in modern digital organizations and learn to plan, run, and report on card sorting, tree testing, split testing, and usability studies.
What is user testing?5:52
Why is user testing important?11:05
Reduce business risk and save costs by identifying usability issues early through user testing, while providing unbiased feedback and defending against bias in design projects.
Elements of a test10:44
Identify the core elements of every design test: the research goal, audience definition, scenario, tasks, and consent form with incentives to guide usability studies.
Who to test with?15:02
Define the right audience through personas and targeted recruitment to ensure testing reflects real user behavior, using screener questions and behavioral data rather than demographics.
How many testers do I need?7:35
Types of tests8:07
Explore usability testing, card sorting, tree testing, multivariate testing, and feedback surveys to inform design decisions. Compare moderated and unmoderated approaches, plus in-person, remote, and guerrilla testing.
In-person vs remote5:17
Compare in-person and remote user testing, showing how in-person enables reading body language and controlled environments for empathy, while remote testing simplifies recruitment, scheduling, and admin, enabling more studies.
Moderated usability tests15:03
Unmoderated usability tests8:33
Explores unmoderated usability tests where participants complete tasks alone, record sessions, and share results, leveraging tools like UserZoom, UserTesting, Lookback, or QuickTime.
Card sorting6:42
Use card sorting to reveal users' mental models by grouping information into categories. Compare closed and open sorts, in-house or online, with tools like optimal sort to shape information architecture.
Tree testing7:17
Focus groups5:49
Split testing9:35
Explore split testing, an A/B testing method using live traffic to compare versions and optimize conversion rates, with hypotheses, multivariate options, and actionable insights.
Feedback surveys20:30
Learn how feedback surveys complement usability testing by gathering broad, low-cost input on features and user experience, using qualitative and quantitative questions with tools like Google Forms and Typeform.
Scenarios and tasks19:09
Learn to craft realistic scenarios tied to research goals and design one-task-at-a-time tasks for usability and tree tests, applying best practices to avoid fatigue and leading questions.
Interacting with participants9:51
Engage participants by ensuring comfort, clear information, and informed consent for a smooth session. Walk them through tasks, introduce the interface, practice active listening, and invite honest feedback.
Active listening10:04
Develop active listening as a core research skill for user testing, focusing on the participant to build empathy and gather insights in a user-centered design process.
Research triangulation4:35
Analysing the data10:10
Analyze qualitative and quantitative data using affinity mapping to turn observations into insights, guiding cross-functional teams to refine the digital product.
Creating a summary report10:12
Create usable, stakeholder-focused reports from UX testing by detailing goals, methods, findings, and recommendations, linking raw data and quotes to insights for all team roles.
Summary0:44
Explore how user testing reduces business risk and yields objective feedback, and learn the types of tests, how to organize sessions, analyze data, and report to teams.

Requirements

Basic understanding of UX

Description

Being a UX designer does not mean you should be able to design any feature or interface perfectly. We are all biased with our own perspectives and experiences, and that's why it's so crucial to validate our design decisions in more objectives ways. This course will introduce the concept of testing with real users through a number of methods, to ensure business risk is minimised and designs are properly evaluated. We will cover a range of topics:

What user testing is and why it is a crucial element of a design process
What are the most common elements of user tests
Introduction of various research methods, with the most attention dedicated to usability testing
Planning testing sessions and conducting them to extract maximum insight
Analysing and reporting the findings

The core of user testing

Learn what are the core components and principles of user testing - from administration and designing test through conducting the tests. You will be able to understand what are the shared elements and useful documents for any type of tests in the product design process.

The most popular methods

Get into the details of usability testing, card sorting, tree testing, split testing and feedback surveys to understand the strengths, weaknesses and elements of each of those methods. Explore the pros and cons of running remote, in-person, moderated and unmoderated studies.

Maximising the value of research

To make sure you get the most out of your tests, learn about effectively communicating with the participants and leveraging the approach of active listening. Learn how to triangulate your research, analyse qualitative data and prepare reports which will be digestible to your stakeholders and focused on the priorities.

The author of the course is Michał Mazur.

Who this course is for:

Beginner UX designers
UI Designers wanting to get better in UX
Owners and managers willing to understand User Testing
UX Designers refreshing their knowledge on fundamentals