Usability Test Script: What Is It and Why Do You Need One?

How a Usability Test Script is Created

Are you planning on outsourcing to a dedicated software team? Understanding a team’s approach to testing can help you judge how serious they are about quality assurance. You can then use this information to decide which software development team meets your high standards.

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how a good usability test script is created.

Introduction

The first step to creating a usability testing script is to write the introduction. The purpose of the introduction is to welcome the user and explain how the usability test will go. It also serves as a good opportunity for the moderator and user to establish a positive rapport with one another.

The introduction should also encourage the user to be as honest as possible with their feedback.

Below is a sample of what a typical usability test introduction may look like:

“Welcome! Thank you for participating in today’s usability test. The purpose of this usability test is to evaluate the user experience for an upcoming mobile fitness app.

In this test, we’ll ask you to perform specific tasks within the app and ask you questions along the way. We’ll also ask you a few wrap-up questions and give you the opportunity to share your feedback in the end.

Your moderator is not responsible for creating the product you’ll be using today. So, please be as open and honest as possible with your feedback. Your input will be invaluable in improving the quality of the final product.”

User Questions

The next step is to ask questions about the user and their background. The purpose of these questions is to better understand the target audience and to see how people of different familiarity levels respond to the product.

Questions to ask a user may include:

• Their job and day-to-day responsibilities
• Demographic questions – e.g., age, gender, education
• How familiar they are with your products similar to yours
• Any other data that may be relevant to the test

Each question should be relevant to the usability test and the outcomes the developing team is looking for. It is also worth noting that the usability test is about the software and not the user, so the user should be reassured that their abilities are not being judged.

This part of the script should also confirm that the moderator has the user’s consent to participate in the usability test.

Usability Tasks

Now is where the usability test begins. Here, the script sets out the number and type of tasks for the user to perform, of which the average is around 6 to 8 user tasks.

The usability tasks should reflect how real users interact with the product. The goal is not to break or push the boundaries of what the product can do – that’s what the quality assurance (QA) team is for – but to ensure the product works as intended.

Furthermore, the user should be told “what” to do but not “how” to do it. The aim is to see how well a user can perform specific tasks. Lighting the pathway for them defeats the purpose of the usability test.

Below are the different categories of task questions:

• Task-based – Evaluates a user’s ability to perform a specific task (e.g., Please create a new user profile in the app)
• Feedback-based – Ask the user’s opinion and thoughts on the user experience. (e.g., What did you think of the profile creation process?)
• Perception-based – Evaluates a user’s first impression of different aspects of the product and their thoughts on the brand and messaging. (e.g., What was your initial response to the look of the product? Did the tone and messaging match what you were expecting from this type of product?
• Comparison-based – Ask the user what they thought of the product compared to similar ones. (e.g., How does this fitness app compare to similar ones you’ve used? Is there anything that sets this one apart?

Observe User Activity

At this stage of the usability study, the user is interacting with the product, and the moderator is observing their activity.

There should be room in the user testing script for the moderator to leave observation notes. They may note verbal and non-verbal cues, time spent on tasks, hesitations, and behavior patterns. For instance, a non-verbal cue could be a user making a frowning face, expressing their displeasure at slow loading times.

Possible observation questions to ask include:

• Was the task as easy to perform as you thought it would be?
• Can you think of a more efficient way to perform this task?
• Can you walk us through your thought process during this task?
• What problems did you encounter with this task?
• Did your inputs deliver the expected outcomes?

Wrap-up Questions

Once the usability test is over, the moderator has the chance to learn more about the user’s thoughts on the product. These questions help solidify the observations made by the moderator, and the user can elaborate on any talking points they brought up during the usability test.

The wrap-up questions should clarify the user’s:

• General impressions of the product
• Likes and dislikes with the product
• Challenges with specific tasks and
• Final thoughts on the testing experience

Following this, the moderator thanks the user for their time and feedback.

Read more: Managed Testing Services & How It Benefits Your Business