User test location planning

No.3— How a UX Researcher can be their own Project Manager

No. 3— How a UX Researcher can be their own Project Manager

Photo by The Coherent Team on Unsplash

This is the third in my series of 7 things UX Researchers (or Project Managers) can do to keep user testing on track.

These are 7 things that SOMEONE has to do. Whether or not it’s officially your responsibility as Researcher, depends on where you work and who you have around you. Nevertheless, someone has to get it done.

It might be you.

If you don’t take ownership, or you sit around waiting for someone to give you permission to do each and every task.. well just ask yourself this — if the research fails, who’s on the hook? Hint: it’s not the PM. There you go.

If you need other reasons why this is important — here’s the explanation.

Step 3 — Test location & setup (or, where am I testing?)

If you are running user testing, you obviously have to test somewhere. And the ideal location depends on a number of factors, including:

• Where you are

• Where your participants are

• If you have live observers (and who, and where they are)

• Your budget (always, sorry..)

Why this is important: You need to be clear up front on your methodology and outline it in your research plan. You need to have a rationale for your approach that is logical, scientifically valid and well explained.

Equally, you will want any observer experience to be well-designed and you can’t do that unless you plan from the beginning.

What can go wrong: Your stakeholders may have misconceptions about where and how research should be conducted. Example: you don’t want stakeholders turning up expecting a lab, and seeing you sitting in a cafe. Or reading about it in the findings report when it’s way too late.

You also don’t want to bring UX colleagues along to take notes and find that they are unable to observe.

Let’s take the options one at a time.

A. Remote testing

Pre-Covid, remote user testing was mostly used for testing with participants in other cities or countries, or by remote-only teams. There are some nuances that you don’t pick up with remote testing, that you get from face-to-face testing, but as always, it’s better to do some testing (however you can) than none at all.

There are also some practical and psychological challenges with video-call-based research that you might want to consider, that I’ve covered in length elsewhere.

However, this appears to be the direction of travel for many research teams, including my own.

Why this is important: Remote testing is still a little odd for some participants therefore you need to design for their comfort and help them prepare in advance by being on the right device, with the right video calling software.

Also, can they use the tech? Have you hidden the observers or at least the observers cameras? If participants have to control the prototype and broadcast back to you, what implications does that have for prototype design?

What can go wrong: Participants having poor wifi or mobile signal, not having the right software installed, being on a mobile when you need them on a desktop device — all of these waste valuable test minutes. If you are lucky enough to work with a recruiter, then you can mitigate some of these issues, but otherwise you need to ensure your discussion guide can flex to accommodate 5–10 mins of faffing around.

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

B. In-person testing

If you’re testing in person, you need a physical location. There are generally three options:

1. A formal research lab

2. Your offices (or their offices, if a b2b or internal product)

3. A public space

Why this is important: Your clients, stakeholders and colleagues need to know that you have chosen the most appropriate methodology. You and the participant need to be comfortable in the physical space so that the testing can take place.

What can go wrong: Any mis-managed expectations create human reactions you cannot always control. You do not want to have to deal with uncomfortable arrangements on test day — because as researcher, you should now be focusing on the tests.

Example 1 — Your stakeholders turn up expecting champagne, sofas, a one-way mirror, and.. you are testing in a cafe. No one will be comfortable, especially the participant.

Example 2 — Your stakeholders expect to be able to jump in and contribute — but find themselves behind a one-way mirror.