Today

Why this matters

You have a working prototype — but you don't know if it works.

Most designers only test usability: "Can users tap the right buttons?"

That's necessary but not sufficient. You also need to test solution fit.

Testing validates both

Testing is how you check your work:

Every test should answer two questions

Why you need both

1. A usable product that solves the wrong problem = failure
2. A great solution that's unusable = failure
3. You need signal on BOTH to succeed

Different questions for different goals

Quick exercise: Which type?

Categorize each question — usability or validation?

1. "Walk me through logging your first workout"
2. "How do you currently track your workouts?"
3. "What would you tap to see your progress?"
4. "Would you use this instead of what you do now? Why or why not?"
5. "What do you expect that button to do?"

The Mom Test applies here too

People will be nice. They'll say they'd use it.

Your job is to design questions that reveal truth, not confirm your hopes.

You can test with anyone — friends, roommates, family — if you ask the right questions.

Mom Test style questions for prototypes

Ask about past behavior and current reality — not future intentions

• "How do you currently handle [this problem]?" → reveals if problem is real
• "What happened the last time you tried to [task]?" → reveals pain points
• "What would you do if this app didn't exist?" → reveals alternatives
• "Who else has this problem?" → reveals if they're representative

Let's rewrite some bad questions

Turn these into good questions:

1. "Don't you think this workout tracker is easy to use?"
2. "Would you pay $5/month for this app?"
3. "Do you like the color scheme?"

Hint: What's leading? What's hypothetical? How can you ground it in real behavior?

The 5 Act Method

1. Friendly welcome (1 min) — Make them comfortable, explain think-aloud
2. Context questions (3 min) — Current behavior, relevant habits
3. Introduce prototype (1 min) — "This is early. Some things won't work."
4. Tasks (10-15 min) — Give tasks one at a time. Observe. Don't help.
5. Debrief (5 min) — Overall impressions, comparison to current solutions

Act 1: Friendly Welcome (1 min)

1. Make them comfortable — you want honest feedback
2. Explain think-aloud: "Tell me what you're thinking as you use this"
3. Reassure them: "We're testing the design, not you"
4. Permission: "It's totally fine to be confused or critical"

Act 2: Context Questions (3 min)

Before showing the prototype, understand their world:

• "How do you currently [relevant behavior]?"
• "Tell me about the last time you [relevant situation]"
• "What tools do you use for [relevant task]?"

This sets up your validation questions later.

Act 3: Introduce the Prototype (1 min)

Set expectations:

• "This is an early prototype"
• "Some things won't work — that's okay"
• "Think out loud as you explore"

Don't explain what it does. Let them discover.

Act 4: Tasks (10-15 min)

1. Give tasks one at a time
2. Observe — don't interrupt
3. Note where they hesitate, tap wrong things, look confused
4. When they get stuck, ask "What are you looking for?" — don't rescue them

This is where most usability insights come from.

Act 5: Debrief (5 min)

Now ask validation questions:

• "How does this compare to what you do now?"
• "What would make you switch to this?"
• "What's missing that you'd need?"
• "Would you recommend this to someone like you?"

This is where solution fit insights come from.

Four principles of good facilitation

1. Silence is your friend — Let them struggle. That's data.
2. Don't explain — If they're confused, note it. Don't rescue them.
3. Don't defend — If they criticize, say "Tell me more." Not "Well, actually..."
4. Ask "Why?" — When they do something unexpected, ask what they were thinking.

D5: What to Document

For each of your 5 tests:

• Who they are (relationship to you, relevant background)
• What happened (observations, not interpretations)
• Key quotes
• Usability issues discovered
• Solution validation signals

D5: Synthesis

After your 5 tests, synthesize:

1. Patterns across tests
2. Top 3 usability issues to fix
3. Top 3 solution fit insights
4. Question reflection: Which questions got honest answers? Which invited polite non-answers?
5. What you'll change in next iteration

Submit: PDF (2 pages — key insights + raw data)

Test Planning Workshop (20 min)

In-Class Testing (100 min)

Three rounds of testing (~30 min each):

1. Round 1: You test a classmate's prototype (you facilitate)
2. Round 2: A classmate tests yours (you observe silently)
3. Round 3: Switch partners, repeat

Prototype owner: no helping! Take notes.

Testing ground rules

After each round, reflect

1. What surprised you?
2. What usability issues emerged?
3. What did you learn about solution fit?
4. What will you change?