Fast and Budget-Friendly Testing Resources

Read About My Lightweight Approach to User Research and Testing

First, I have written this post on their blog, sharing some key insights from the workshop that's definitely worth a read.

The TLDR is that usability testing needn't be slow or costly. There are many great tools for testing that can make it easy.

Of course I did kind of touch on this subject in my email about traditional usability testing. But that brings me on to the second thing I have to share.

In that email, I outlined a whole load of different methods you could use for testing, other than traditional usability testing. But as I wrote it, I was aware that having a go at these might feel intimidating.

Watch Me Set Up Tests in 8 Mini-Screencasts

As part of the Frontend Masters workshop, I recorded eight mini-screencasts. They show how to run some of those tests from that previous email. These are:

• 8 Second Test. The "eight second test" is quick and effective. It gauges users' first impressions of your website. It shows whether it clearly communicates its key messages and purpose in that crucial time.
• Branding Survey. A brand survey helps you assess how well your design communicates your brand's unique identity to your target audience. You ask people to rate how your design reflects your brand keywords. This shows if your design matches your brand's values and personality.
• Open Card Sort. When making a website's information architecture, be sure the site's structure makes sense to users. It must be easy to navigate. Open card sorting helps in creating well-labeled top-level sections that users understand.
• Closed Card Sort. Give participants cards representing your website's content. Ask them to sort the cards into categories you've already defined. By seeing how users organize your content, you'll discover if your website makes sense to them.
• Tree Test. When working on a website, it's common to have concerns about whether users can find specific pieces of content. If you don't have a prototype yet, a tree test is a good way to test information findability.
• Eye Tracking Simulation. When designing a website, ensuring that users see the content you want them to see is a common challenge. To address this, you can use AI-powered eye tracking tools like Attention Insight to predict where users will look on your design.
• First Click Test. Want to know if your website's design is intuitive enough for users to find what they're looking for? First-click tests are the perfect tool to help you find out!
• Preference Test. Preference tests are a simple way to compare two designs against each other. You can use this method to compare design proposals, style tiles, and mood boards. You can also use it to compare your design to a competitor's or an old version of a design.

Hopefully these practical little walkthroughs will give you the confidence to give it a go for yourself, if you're not already.

The Tools I Use

For your reference, the tools I use are:

• Lyssna - for 8 seconds, first-click and preference testing.
• UX Metrics - for open and closed card sorting, as well as tree testing.
• Pollfish - for surveying.
• Attention Insight - for eye tracking simulation.

Let me know if you find these screencasts useful, because if you do, I could easily record some more.

Also, don’t forget you can drop me an email at any time, I am always happy to answer questions.