1. User Testing DIY
•Three Steps to Validate Your Offering with Real Users

2. Lauren McDanell
@lmcdanell

3. W H AT I S U S E R T E S T I N G ?
IS: Asking users what they want,
and then building it for them.
IS NOT: Building a sweet product
and then telling them they want it.
(whoops, they don’t think it’s sweet…)
@lmcdanell

4. W H Y D O U S E R T E S T I N G ?
To get to the right answer
(a product that people will buy
and use at the price you’re selling)
faster, cheaper, and with less risk.
@lmcdanell

5. W H Y D O U S E R T E S T I N G ?
You (non-designer, non-programmer)
can learn relatively the same things
about core user behavior with this:
@lmcdanell

6. W H Y D O U S E R T E S T I N G ?
…as you can with this:
@lmcdanell

7. W H Y D O U S E R T E S T I N G ?
This is free. This is $$$.
@lmcdanell

8. B U T … U S E R S D O N ’ T K N O W W H AT T H E Y WAN T !
Nobody knew they
wanted this thing.
@lmcdanell

9. AC T U A L LY, T H E Y D O .
What about these things?
CONNECTION
PLAY
EFFICIENCY
REMOTE WORK TOOLS
CAMERA IN MY POCKET
TRENDY, TECHY GADGET
@lmcdanell

10. T H R E E S T E P S O F U S E R T E S T I N G
1. Need Testing
2. Concept Testing
3. Prototype Testing
@lmcdanell

11. T H R E E S T E P S O F U S E R T E S T I N G
1. Need Testing
2. Concept Testing
3. Prototype Testing
@lmcdanell

12. N E E D T E S T I N G
How: Conduct user need interviews
• Learn about their current situation
• Hear their pain
• Gauge specific value propositions
@lmcdanell

13. N E E D T E S T I N G
“How do you keep track of the items
you need to buy each week?”
“What types of lists do you make?”
“Tell me about the last time you made a
list. When? How? Why? Where?”
@lmcdanell

14. N E E D T E S T I N G
“How much does this statement
resonate with you, from 1-5?”
• I need a central location for all my lists.
• I need a list I can share with someone
else, like my spouse or partner.
• I need separate lists for different types of
items, chores, or activities.
@lmcdanell

15. N E E D T E S T I N G
Goal: Does the user have the need
that I hypothesize they do?
NO YES
Is there a
different need?
Move on to
concept testing.
@lmcdanell

16. T H R E E S T E P S O F U S E R T E S T I N G
1. Need Testing
2. Concept Testing
3. Prototype Testing
@lmcdanell

17. C O N C E P T T E S T I N G
How: Conduct concept interviews
• Describe your solution
• Use low fidelity sketches or paper
wireframes
• Observe user reactions to your
solution concept. Will this help them?
@lmcdanell

18. C O N C E P T T E S T I N G
“What if there were a way to make and
organize lists on your phone?”
“Would you use an app that let you
create and share lists with others?”
“When/with whom would you use it?”
“Does an app like this make sense?”
@lmcdanell

19. C O N C E P T T E S T I N G
@lmcdanell

20. C O N C E P T T E S T I N G
@lmcdanell

21. C O N C E P T T E S T I N G
“How would you organize these lists?”
“What types of lists can you
imagine making with this app?”
“Would this solve your problem of ___?”
“Do you think this app would make ___ easier?”
@lmcdanell

22. C O N C E P T T E S T I N G
Goal: Does this concept solve the
user’s need?
NO YES
Why not? What
would solve it?
Move on to
prototype testing.
@lmcdanell

23. T H R E E S T E P S O F U S E R T E S T I N G
1. Need Testing
2. Concept Testing
3. Prototype Testing
@lmcdanell

24. P R O TO T Y P E T E S T I N G
How: Conduct clickable prototype tests
with real users
• Allow users to interact with & react to a
clickable version of your solution
• Observe how they use (and want to
use!) your solution
• Ask users to complete the core usage
loop for your solution…can they?
@lmcdanell

25. P R O TO T Y P E T E S T I N G
@lmcdanell

26. P R O TO T Y P E T E S T I N G
@lmcdanell

27. P R O TO T Y P E T E S T I N G
@lmcdanell

28. P R O TO T Y P E T E S T I N G
“What is this app for?”
“What is the first thing you would do from here?”
“What could you do from this screen?”
@lmcdanell

29. P R O TO T Y P E T E S T I N G
“If you clicked that button,
what do you think would happen?”
“What would the next screen look like?”
“What would you want to do at this point?”
@lmcdanell

30. P R O TO T Y P E T E S T I N G
Give the user an assignment (to complete
the core usage loop of your product).
@lmcdanell

31. Edit profile
View babes
Swipe
Chat
T I N D E R C O R E U S AG E L O O P
@lmcdanell

32. P R O TO T Y P E T E S T I N G
“Create a new list called ‘Grocery Store.’”
“Add ‘bread’ to your Grocery Store list.”
“Cross off ‘bread’ from your
Grocery Store list.”
@lmcdanell

33. P R O TO T Y P E T E S T I N G
Goal: Is this the right experience for
this concept?
NO YES
Why not? How
should product work?
Prettier prototypes &
eventually program!
@lmcdanell

34. BUILDTHEREALDEAL
Iterate!
@lmcdanell

35. Iterate!
@lmcdanell
BUILDTHEREALDEAL

36. Open House: March 2, 6:00 PM
5-Day Boot Camp: March 21 – 25
2-Day Boomer Workshop: April 18 – 19
12-Week Evening: Thursdays starting May 19
www.seedspot.org @lmcdanell

37. lauren@seedspotphoenix.org
@lmcdanell