3 Tips for Inclusive User Testing
As much as UI/UX design is aided by artificial intelligence and data, a product's end users are humans, who vary in preferences, expectations and desires. That's why before a product’s release it is good practice to invite actual humans to test it and offer their feedback. This process is called user testing. User testing enables designers to see how actual users will interact with a product in real life. This is a moment where we as designers learn if the product in progress has the right solutions or if it's necessary to backtrack and consider something new.
User testing is crucial, but often we only focus on a target audience requested by the client, neglecting the diversity of users who may differ from our user personas. That's why it's important to apply tests to different types of users. This approach to testing is called inclusive user testing. Today, we're going to discuss three main tips to ensure that testing is inclusive:
Tip 1: Don't Forget Documented Research
It's crucial to conduct research at the inception stage of the product, not only about the industry, competition, user, and market, but also about what has been tested before. Look for test documents and results from similar companies. It's highly likely that someone else has faced the same problem you might encounter, and there's documentation available. This helps you understand what not to do and saves time by solving problems that others have already resolved.
Often thorough user testing is overlooked because it is time consuming. However, it's necessary to take your time to conduct proper tests with a sufficient number of users to analyze the results effectively. These tests could yield the expected results, or they might reveal unforeseen issues for certain users that could lead to a loss in consumers. Conducting tests helps prevent potential future problems by identifying them before the final product launch.
While it's important to conduct tests with users who are the target audience for the product, it’s important to keep in mind that the user persona is the ideal user, not an actual user. A product might be visited by a wide range of people, and this diversity should be considered. For instance, users with cognitive disabilities who make up a significant portion of the population, may experience the product in a completely different way than our target user. Therefore, it's important to test with users of all types. A great tool that enables inclusive user testing is Fable Tech Labs.
Accessible and inclusive digital design is essential, regardless of a target user’s preferences. Conducting tests with a large variety of users is vital to ensure a successful launch for any product. As technology evolves, we have more and more ways of guaranteeing user inclusivity, and keeping up to date on these advancements is important to us as designers.
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Tip 2: Invest Time in User Testing
Tip 3: Test with a Diverse Range of Users
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