Prototype usability testing is essential before launching an app or website. UX design of an app is meant to be user-friendly. If an app is user-friendly, it will automatically attract more traffic naturally. As prototype usability testing is critical, not performing it properly can lead to the wrong outcome. Today, we will discuss 5 common mistakes that UX research professionals make while carrying out prototype usability testing.
5 common prototype usability testing mistakes
Prototype usability testing can lead to more loss than benefit, if it’s not conducted properly. You may get false results and conclusions. No matter how much your user interface appeals to customers, if user testing isn’t carried out correctly, you won’t benefit from it. To avoid such a scenario, focus on the common prototype usability testing mistakes, in order to make sure that you don’t make them.
Setting unreasonable prototype usability testing goals
The most common prototype usability testing mistake is not setting reasonable goals. It is similar to entering an examination hall and taking an exam without properly studying for it.
Sometimes, to meet deadlines and make up for wasted time, the team members may conduct prototype usability testing as a formality without setting any goals. The disadvantages of doing this are:
- Users participating in testing without knowing what they are looking for. They will browse the app and maybe stick to its strengths. For example, if your checkout page isn’t good and the users are not explicitly told to explore it, they will avoid it. This defeats the purpose of conducting prototype usability testing.
- All the data gathered will be inaccurate and can’t be used to improve the prototype, as the users were not given any specific instructions to meet any particular goals.
- There is no checklist for users to review everything individually and find usability problems. This gives UX designers nothing actionable to work on when building out the full design.
Solution
The remedy to this problem is to allocate a proper budget and time to prototype usability testing. Don’t treat it like an informal task. Set proper goals and ensure that the users go through every component of the prototype.
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Conducting testing over or under developed prototype
Over-developed or under-developed prototypes are the ones that are either not complete or are more functional than a typical prototype, making them complex. When it is time to test the prototype, it is hard to craft proper goals and expectations for users. This leads to improper testing that doesn’t yield accurate results. There might be a conflict among the designing team on which prototype is better for testing.
Solution
Make sure that you are testing different versions of your prototypes. Then you can always differentiate their performance after testing. Implementing this tactic will also lead to no conflicts among the team regarding which prototype must be tested.
Improper prototype usability testing guidelines
When initiating prototype usability testing, ensure that the audience has proper guidelines. Don’t initiate the prototype usability testing while still users have no idea what to do. Doing so, the users will remain lost and have no idea what they are looking for.
Solution
Make sure every user has a clear vision of what they are looking for, and then start the testing. Write a scenario that sets clear expectations about how they will navigate the test. This way, you ensure they give you solid feedback on the user experience.
Wrong prototype usability testing questions
It is seen that despite carrying out prototype usability testing, some apps don’t yield the expected results. This may happen because you asked the wrong questions during prototype usability testing. Ask yourself, what would you want the app to do if you are a user? What are the actual questions that will help you enhance the UX design? Ask those questions instead of obvious ones that don’t help in enhancing the user experience.
Solution
Make sure to conduct meetings, discuss with the team, and write questions that actually matter in terms of UX design and user experience. Suppose these questions are the ones the users ask during prototype usability testing. In that case, your testing is more than probable to be successful.
Having too many prototype usability testing tasks
One of the most common mistakes while prototype usability testing is creating too many tasks for the users to complete. This increases the amount of hard work put in by the users, and they may lose focus at some point. Too many steps in the prototype usability testing process can lead to misjudgment by the users. It can also become a headache when conducting surveys. More tasks are challenging to handle.
Solution
If you think all the prototype usability testing tasks are necessary, divide them up and conduct more than one prototype usability testing session and survey. This way, the focus will remain intact, and you will simultaneously get actionable data and responses not filtered through tester fatigue.
Conclusion
Prototype usability testing isn’t to be taken as an informal feat. Spend time and manage it properly. Avoid the prototype usability testing mistakes we discussed, and you will definitely ace prototype usability testing to enhance UX design and user experience.
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