Usability tests for Fly UX
Compulsory Diploma coursework. Received 100% pass for both note taking and my usability tests.
In-depth usability tests provide qualitative data about users goals and pain points.
As part of my course I watched two pre-recorded usability tests. You can see the notes I took here.
I then wrote a script, found a user and conducted a usability test – more about the problems I faced trying to do all this at the beginning of 2021 (during lock-down caused by the global pandemic) are below.
The sound in the video is not great as the fan on my laptop was whirring away. I should have bought an external microphone.
How it went
I really enjoyed doing the usability test, it’s definitely something I would like to do more of, but I struggled to find participants. In person testing was impossible to do at points due to lock-down, testing remotely should have been a possibility, but given the small pool of potential participants I had available to ask (due to various reasons), I struggled to find the right kind of user that had free time (think global pandemic, lockdown, working, kids, home schooling etc!!) and a laptop that one could download and install the correct tech onto (ie: their work IT hadn’t prevented software being installed!). Having no budget for software impacted on how I could do things too. I used Reflector to share the phone screen and Screenflow to record.
Choosing to study an App made things harder still (if it was a website I could have just got the user to share their screen on zoom. I just couldn’t get it to work sharing a screen on a phone). But hey, I got there in the end - just waited for the restrictions to ease a little, then went and sat, socially distanced (ish), in someones living room.
It’s obviously an area I need to increase my skills in and am keen to do so. It will be good to meet UX practitioners and share notes.
Notes about the people I interviewed for the usability tests
User A rarely flew but was tech savvy.
User B was a regular flyer, but more-often used a travel agent to book her holidays. She did just book flights when travelling for work.
Neither exactly meet the target audience I had in mind. I should have found one more regular flyer who booked just flights really, ideally not from the Greater London area.
What I asked
QATAR AIRWAYS
I asked them to take on the role of someone booking a return flight for 2 people for work. That they were travelling from home in South London (Crystal Palace), and wanted to travel on Monday 26th July, stay in a hotel that night to make an early morning meeting on Tuesday 27th July am. They cld have a little time on Tuesday eve to do some sightseeing, travelling home Wednesday 28th July, to arrive back for mid day. Budget for flight was comfortable but won’t stretch to first class.
RYAN AIR
Travelling from London again, this time to Cork, Ireland. Need to travel out Monday 26th to stay overnight, as meeting starts early on Tuesday 27th July. Need to return to London in the morning of Wednesday 28th July. Budget for this trip is not great!
Notes on user testing
The objective is to understand the users goals, and the context of use (ask lots of questions)
DON’T ask for product feedback eg. Do you like our product? DO ask What travel apps/websites do you use? Why?
DON’T ask leading questions eg. Would you prefer to check-in online. DO ask: How do you check-in? Pls describe what you did
DON’T ask hypothetical/future focused questions eg. If our app was available tomorrow would you choose it? DO ask: Tell me about the last time you booked a flight
DON’T ask close ended questions eg. Did you check-in online? DO ask: How did you check-in? Pls describe what you did
Also
Write a script as guidance/talking points
But remember not to be a robot – listen well and be guided by the conversation (it’s not an interrogation)
Do explore interesting topics that come out of the conversation
Zone in on conversations about ‘pain points’
Always record!