Hypothesis-Driven Design
Usability Test Template

Depending on the stage of the project you are in, you can use usability testing in a lightweight way to do a gut check on prototypes you’re working on, or to conduct more formal testing with users that you’ve recruited. Be it formal or informal testing, the goal is the same; testing is an opportunity to get fresh perspective from others who are seeing your project for the first time, without knowledge of your decisions and approach.

In advance of a usability test, you should have a list of questions prepared that help you guide the conversation with test participants toward feedback about the usefulness, usability, and desirability of your project. During the test, the questions are there there to jog your memory, and should not be used as a strict outline. The best usability tests flow naturally, without leading questions, and the insertion of your point of view. Let the experience and the user speak for themselves.

Unlike a focus group, which is designed to collect feedback on user preferences, usability testing requires the Team to look for underlying meaning and behavioral patterns that may not be directly communicated by test participants. At the end of every usability test period, it is common for the Team to share a report that speaks to both their direct and indirect findings.

There’s much more to usability testing than what can be covered here. If you’d like to learn more, usability.gov offers a good overview. To get you started, the common documents that we use in conjunction with usability tests are included below. They are set up as templates to use a the starting point for your testing.

User Research Test Recruitment- Email sent to list of potential test participants with a link to the screener form.

User Research Test Screener Form- Google Form sent to email list of potential test participants.

User Research Test Selection Email- Note sent to selected test participants.

User Research Test Script- An interview guide used used by test moderators during the test.

Test Participant Consent Form- The form test participants sign to provide you with permission to record the usability test interview.

User Research Test Plan- Test schedule and logistics.

User Research Stakeholder Invitation- Invitation to project stakeholders to observe the usability tests.

User Research Findings Report- A findings report summarizing what was learned through testing.