Testing your visual designs

MargaretDesign Principles, Design Tools, Legal Product Design, Testing, Testing ToolsLeave a Comment

Here is one testing model to see if your designs are successful:

1. Define one or two Research Questions
for example, is my design more usable than the status quo?
or, does my design increase comprehension compared to the status quo?
or, is my design more attractive & engaging compared to the status quo?

 

2. Finalize your redesign of a status quo of how information is conveyed
Keep the content basically the same, but change the design of it

 

3. Choose users from your target group
Ideally, they will be the main audience for the ultimate design you release

 

4. Divide the group into half
One using a status quo design, and one using your design

 

5. Present the designs to the user groups
Either handing your design directly to the user, or have it with other materials & see if the engage with it

 

6. Observe how they behave regarding your research questions
If it is about engagement, see if they even look at the design, and for how long
If it is about comprehension, test whether they can find and/or recall information
If it is about decision-making, test what kind of decision they make, and inquire the reasoning behind it

 

7. Collect data points about how their behavior fits your research question

Do they misunderstand it? Is it fast to read & understand?
Then look at the number of correct answers they get right
How long it takes them to take answer questions
How many questions they skip

How is their experience of it? Do they find it attractive?
Get quotes from them about heir reactions & feelings towards it
Compare whether people like the styles and appearance of the redesign versus the status quo
Compare which is easier to read and skim through, based on people’s self-reporting
Compare their opinion of the overall experience & appearance of the designs
Ask what their impressions of the brand/creator of the design is

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