Businesses that spend 10 per cent of their budget on usability and usability testing, on average, see a 135 per cent increase in their desired metrics; however, to reap these results our approach to user testing needs to facilitate maximum learning.
A contributing factor to the quality of the feedback received is how comfortable the user feels speaking freely and honestly. First and foremost, make it clear to the user that they are testing the design; we’re not testing their abilities. Ask them to communicate not only honest and, if needed, harsh feedback but also emotions (ie relief, frustration, etc) and also what they’re trying to accomplish (for added context). Family and friends won’t offer quality feedback – since they won’t want to upset you, their feedback will likely be…
