Would having a system for classifying usability problems be helpful to UX researchers and designers? Would it reduce the evaluator effect? Categorization frameworks have been around for decades, but in our experience, they haven’t seen a lot of adoption by commercial development teams. There are probably a few reasons for this: they might not be
Finding and fixing problems is a core activity of much of UX research (similar to identifying and preventing software bugs and product defects). The problems found while users attempt tasks are often broadly referred to as UI problems because the friction points tend to involve issues that blur the lines between bugs, functional deficits, and
Sample size estimation is an important part of study planning. If the sample size is too small, the study will be underpowered, meaning it will be incapable of detecting sufficiently small differences as statistically significant. If the sample size is too large, the study will be inefficient and cost more than necessary. A critical component
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).
One of the most popular UX research methods is Think Aloud (TA) usability testing. Having participants speak their thoughts while working on tasks helps researchers identify usability problems and potential fixes. After a TA session, many UX research teams also collect study-level metrics. Study-level metrics are typically asked only once in a study (unlike task-level
One of the most popular UX research methods is Think Aloud (TA) usability testing. Having participants speak their thoughts while working on tasks helps researchers identify usability problems and potential fixes. But does the added burden of speaking while attempting a task make the experience harder and affect perceptions of the website or app being
One of the most popular UX research methods is Think Aloud (TA) usability testing. Having participants speak their thoughts while working on tasks helps researchers identify usability problems and potential fixes. While the method has been around for decades with the use of an attending moderator, more recent technological advancements in the past 15 years
What percentage of users are willing to participate in a TA study? The Think Aloud (TA) method, in which participants speak their thoughts as they attempt to complete tasks, is one of the most distinctive characteristics of usability testing. Think Aloud, as a method for understanding human attitudes and behavior, has been around for over
User experience research has a wide variety of methods. From one perspective, it’s good because there’s usually a method for whatever research question you need to answer. On the other hand, it’s hard to keep track of all these methods. Some methods, such as usability testing, are commonly used and have been around for decades.
The Think Aloud (TA) method is one of the most distinguishing characteristics of usability testing. The method involves having participants speak their thoughts as they attempt tasks on an interface. Think Aloud as a method for understanding human attitudes and behavior has been around for over a century. While we often think of the Think
