Design Testing
Tasks set
The design test follows both, a qualitative as well as a quantitative approach that focus on the emotional aspects connected with the users.
Test comparisons of designs will show the users' subjective preferences regarding the concept of navigation, the information on offer and its processing, the pages' appeal, the design and layout.
Method
Individual interviews, a combination of observation, enquiry, and subjective evaluation, are conducted to explore the participants' assessments:
- During the interviews the users are confronted with a succession of design proposals which they have to evaluate one by one. Their spontaneous associations are recorded first; subsequently, the participants have to take a closer look at specific elements, e.g. colours, typefaces, pictures and the structure of the pages. In the course of the field phase variants of the design are presented in a rotating order.
- The respondents are urged to "think aloud" to make the motivations underlying their actions transparent.
- The evaluation of the individual alternatives and the re-presentation of an overview that shows all variants are succeeded by a ranking.
- As an alternative, two design variants may be compared; the preferred variant constitutes the basis for comparing the next pair. Thus, it is possible to single out the most popular design variant from a set of alternatives.
- In addition, projective processes can be employed to evaluate the design of the web site. These processes may reveal deep-seated motives that are often unconscious as well as the respondents' ideas of images. For design tests projective processes are suitable, such as forming analogies or selecting qualities/characteristics from a group of statements that have to be evaluated by means of a scale.
Process phase
Sample
The sample size varies depending on the range of the test object, its stage of development and the number of target groups. In order to obtain a more extensive impression of user preferences, at least 20 respondents should be questioned.
Timing
In accordance with the selected sample size the study can be conducted within 3 to 5 weeks.
Download fact sheet Design Testing
