Don’t judge a book by it’s cover…till you’ve read the book.
We had some interesting conversations over the weekend with the kids, and I thought about the time I’ve spent in commerce and e-commerce.
How often have we judged customers by how they looked, sounded, and acted, digitally (on paper) and non-digitally?
I know I have. I’m aware of it and work on it with every single test that I conduct or review.
When you attach demographic questions, such as age, gender, and income, to a Usability test form, ask yourself what assumptions you want to make based on that information. Then, think hard if you need to. Could a customer’s time be spent better by answering more qualitative data points that better support your goals?
Could a customer’s time be spent better by answering more qualitative data points that better support your goals?
Demographic data is a critical marketing component so you can reach the right people and that is where it has it’s place.
But not in Usability testing. Here’s why:
- Unmoderated test participants don’t have a long attention span. They skim. The more questions, the fewer quality answers you get. You’re spending a lot on testing and subsequent write-ups, design, and development. Your test participants’ time and attention are better spent answering more qualitative data points that better support your goals.
- Many people in the U.S. today find irrelevant and demographical questions offensive. Do you want to turn them off and leave a bad taste in their mouths before they even start the test?
- Every interaction with a brand leaves a positive or negative impression. And they each act like chains—even a usability test. It behooves brands to use their professional voice and ethical design and research practices even for something like usability testing.
There’s a finesse that comes with writing usability testing that makes a customer feel like a peer and a contributor to the brand instead of a piece of data. Let us know if we can help you with that!
