So you are curious about unmoderated qualitative testing, and want to know more about structuring the tests, and how they will fit into your wider UX strategy. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through key success factors for structuring this testing approach and then provide some more strategic suggestions, based on our experiences, to make the most of this user-centric method.
In a previous post we discussed the differences between moderated and unmoderated qualitative testing, so we will skip that part now. If you would like to read that post, click on the link HERE
Set Clear Objectives
Begin by defining what you want to achieve with your testing, and then simplify. Are you looking to improve the user interface, evaluate specific features, or gather general feedback? Can you distill this into 2 – 5 specific items? Setting clear objectives helps shape the entire testing process.
Craft User-Friendly Scenarios and Tasks
Use these items to create specific scenarios and tasks that mirror real-world situations, with clear A-B-C progression. Keep instructions simple and user-friendly, and pre-test these scenarios with “fresh eyes”. The aim is to make participants feel comfortable with the test while providing valuable insights into how they interact with your product, without causing too much of a challenge. Remember, they are alone, and might choose to stop the test if it is frustrating.
Choose Engaging Questions
Design questions within the scenarios that prompt meaningful responses. Open-ended questions work wonders, allowing participants to share their thoughts freely, but you need to strike a balance between quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback. Without a moderator to push for more information, you need to design questions and scenarios that encourage people to respond naturally.
Encourage Natural Interaction
Despite the careful scenario design, let participants navigate freely. The goal is to observe how users naturally interact with your product. While you want specific things tested, you should avoid excessive guidance to remove the risk of confirmation bias, allowing for genuine insights into user behavior. Perhaps you will discover something you and your team have missed.
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