Topics
Topics
Does Thinking Aloud Uncover More Usability Issues?
One of the most popular UX research methods is Think Aloud (TA) usability testing. In TA testing, participants speak their thoughts while attempting tasks. The process helps researchers identify usability problems and potential fixes. But is the process of thinking aloud necessary to uncover problems and insights? Earlier, we investigated the effects of TA on
When and Why to Use a Click Test
Where will people click on a webpage or app? It’s a good question because knowing where people click can help designers understand how functions and content help or inhibit users from accomplishing their tasks. Our earlier research has shown that the first click on images is reasonably predictive of the first click on live websites,
Measuring Tech Savviness with Technical Activity Checklists
UX research is geared primarily toward understanding how to improve the experience of products, websites, and software. The intent is not to assess people but to use people to assess product experiences. But people’s ability to solve technical problems—what we often loosely refer to as tech savviness—can confound our research findings. That is, including only
Is What You See What You Get?
Examining the Evaluator Effect in Unmoderated Usability Testing
If different researchers conduct a study, will they identify different problems? While it was originally controversial, the evaluator effect is now well-established in the field of UX research. The evaluator effect is the finding that, in general, different teams or individuals conducting a usability study will identify and report different problems (Hertzum & Jacobsen, 2003).
Can ChatGPT Replace UX Researchers?
An Empirical Analysis of Comment Classifications
ChatGPT. A sequence of letters that didn’t mean much to people a few months ago is now ubiquitous. It seems like every social media post mentions ChatGPT (especially the latest version, 4) and hypes it as a game changer. It’s been used to quickly summarize text, do homework, pass the bar exam, and code the game Duck Hunt
UX and NPS Benchmarks of Office Supply Websites (2023)
When people need office supplies, they’re unlikely to use Dunder Mifflin; instead, they’ll search online. But like the fictional paper supply company, many well-known office-supply brands (some with physical stores) have struggled to compete with Amazon and haven’t recovered from the impacts of COVID policies on in-person work. In 2019, Office Depot closed 50 stores,
Sample Sizes for Rating Scale Confidence Intervals
Sample size computations can seem like an art. Some assumptions are involved when computing sample sizes, but it should be more math than magic. A key ingredient needed to cook up a sample size estimate is the standard deviation. You need yeast to make bread, and you need a measure of variability to make an
Initial Validation of Tech-Savvy Measures
How do you measure tech savviness? For several years (since 2015), we’ve been on a mission to develop a valid and practical measure. In our earlier articles, we have Reviewed the literature. We reviewed the literature on tech-savvy measures and found three key approaches to measuring tech-savviness by assessing (1) what a person knows, (2)
How to Estimate the Standard Deviation for Rating Scales
The standard deviation is the most common measure of variability. It’s less intuitive than measures of central tendency such as the mean, but it plays an essential role in analysis and sample size planning. The standard deviation is a key ingredient when building a confidence interval and can be easily computed from a sample of
What Do People Say When They Think Aloud?
Think Aloud (TA) usability testing is a popular UX research method. Having participants speak their thoughts as they attempt tasks helps researchers understand sources of misunderstandings, potentially aiding them in identifying and fixing usability problems. It’s such a common technique in usability testing that we suspect few researchers think about the impacts and consequences (positive
UX and NPS Benchmarks of Electronics Websites (2023)
What do people buy online? Behind clothing, consumer electronics are at the top of the list. Beyond smartphones, people purchase computers, TVs, tablets, gaming consoles, and a myriad of smartphone accessories. Before purchasing, roughly half of US consumers research details about consumer products online, including features, reviews, and prices. To understand the electronics researching and
13 Tips for Running a Successful Rolling Research Program
While the term Lean UX has faded in popularity, many of the lean concepts remain, and they are even incorporated into other frameworks such as Agile. One of the core tenets of Lean UX is to focus on decisions and not deliverables. In project-based UX research, decisions often take a back seat to deliverables. Research