In my experience observing colleagues conduct usability testing interviews, these are lessons I learnt that can hinder the effectiveness of interviews. 12 areas to be mindful of:
Creating a comfortable environment
Be a helpful friend, not a taskmaster
It’s important to create a comfortable and non-intimidating environment for participants during usability testing interviews. A friendly and calm tone of voice can make it easier for participants to open up about frustrations.
Avoid calling it a task
Referring to a task as a “task” might create the idea of success or failure in participants’ minds. Instead, use words like “activity” and phrases such as “Could you…” or “Could you try to…”
Don’t crowd the participant
The ideal setup includes the participant and the interviewer, with a translator if necessary. Additional team members should remain in another room or participate remotely through platforms like Zoom. This helps create a comfortable environment for the participant and allows everyone to contribute by taking notes on a shared Google Doc.
Effective interview techniques
Silence is golden
After participants answer questions, especially difficult ones, they will usually take a long pause. Hold back the urge to ask a follow-up question and give them time to continue their thoughts.
Follow-up on the small details
Digging into the nuances of how participants complete tasks can reveal valuable insights about the UI.
Ask probing questions such as: “Why did you pause here?” or “Why did you go back?”. If they’re not taking any action, asking “What are you thinking?” can be a powerful probe into user behaviour.
When paraphrasing, keep it short and intentional
After the user has attempted a task, paraphrasing their actions can validate their behaviour and help the interviewer probe deeper into specific behaviours. To keep it efficient:
- Focus on key moments or actions critical to understanding their behaviour.
- Encourage participants to elaborate or provide more context, rather than solely using paraphrasing as validation.
- Avoid excessive paraphrasing, as it can make it difficult for translators to keep up.
Don’t deviate into another task in the middle of one task
Sometimes participants may stumble upon a task planned for later while working on a current task. It’s usually best to resist the urge to ask about it immediately and instead come back to it at the appropriate time.
How will you use it?
When seeking a general impression of a UI element, follow up by asking participants how they would use it.
Maintain a steady tone
When interviews veer off-script or become ambiguous, it gets harder to keep your tone confident and steady. When unsure about how to respond, take some time to think about the question and the response that will align your response with the goals of the study. Refer your script if you have it handy.
Avoid leading questions
You’re probably know leading questions create bias and skew results. But here are a few common slips of the tongue to watch out for:
- Do you like x?
- Would x be easier/simpler?
- Using the same words as used in the prototype.
- Can you do x action again so I can ask you about it?
Consider using following responses instead:
- When participants ask what to do: “What do you think?”, “Do what you usually do,” or “What would you do if you were in a real setting without me to help you out?”
- When you want to probe more about a specific behaviour in a larger flow: “You’re doing really well. Could you slow down so I can ask a few questions?”
- When you want to see an alternate approach: “Could you try that again?”
Keep time
A regular 30 minute alert from a colleague can keep the interview within time. You can use a watch too if it’s not too distracting.
Participant appreciation
Proper compensation or gifts
Participants are taking time out of their busy lives to talk to you, so it’s important to show appreciation. Consider either paying them standard rates based on the time required or offering a gift at the end of the interview if they are not participating for payment.
Practical experience is key to mastering usability testing interviews, alongside understanding the theory. Embrace the opportunity to conduct numerous interviews, and make use of daily debriefs to gather feedback and make adjustments for future sessions. These are my lessons learnt from watching my amazing colleagues Aarti and Karoline in action.
