9: User testing and project surgeries

Design stage: Prototyping and visualising

This session focuses on the use of testing and the importance of feedback during but also after the design process completes. Part of the premise of user-centred design approaches is the dedication to users needs, wishes, demands. Therefore user tests are important to validate our idea in light of actual users’ interactions with the prototype we produced. The session looks into different approaches of user tests from more formal user testing in a usability lab to more informal and spontaneous user testing, such as ‘guerrilla testing’. The session will also discuss the need role of documentation and logging of data from user tests.

Seminar: Discuss how you will want to test your prototype. Will you use videos / walk throughs, talk out loud methodologies, acting out / “body storming”?

Team: Finalise your prototype. Run a rail of your user test and write a design log entry on how this test went and what you may want to improve / change prior to the real user tests next week.