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Desirability Testing

Deciding to perform usability testing is always a step in the right direction, but it’s only effective when done properly. The term “properly” doesn’t mean the process must be long and expensive either. In fact, there are several testing methods that are quick and effective as long as the testing goal is fairly broad. Desirability testing is a great example of testing that reveals how the user feels about a design. It requires users to communicate their emotions about the design’s visual component, allowing the client to gain insight about the general experience of the design.

To prepare for desirability testing, it is important to compile a list of key words to serve as descriptors. The list should include anywhere between 20 and 50 words and must have no greater than a 60/40 positive to negative word ratio. If I were to chose 40 words, for example, I might choose 20 that tend to have a positive connotation and 20 that tend to have a negative connotation. Here is a short list of common descriptors:

        clean

        understandable

        dull

        efficient

        calm

        attractive

        engaging

        confusing

        frustrating

        overwhelming

        sophisticated

After recruiting testing participants and asking them preliminary demographic questions, the testing facilitator should show each participant an image of the design next to the list of descriptors. The user does not actually use the product in this kind of testing. Instead, he or she simply looks at a mockup or prototype. For websites and platforms, the testing facilitator might present a series of screenshots. Upon presenting the list and the images, the facilitator should ask the participant to choose five words that he or she feels best represent the design. Then, after the user selects five words, he or she should rank them 1–5 (where 1 represents the single best word to describe the design). Finally, the facilitator should ask each participant a few follow-up questions about the chosen words in order to understand his or her thinking. Some follow-up questions might include:

  1. Talk me through why you ranked those descriptors the way you did.
  2. What exactly about this design made you choose "______"? What about "_____"?
  3. If you could change one thing about this design, what would you change?
  4. Talk about one thing that you like about this design and explain why you like it.

Desirability testing is a great choice for early stages of testing because it’s simple and quick, and it reveals any obvious errors in design. If several participants say that the design is overwhelming, for example, then there is clearly some sort of problem in the delivery of the design. Asking follow-up questions is also a crucial step in desirability testing because it forces participants to explain their thoughts and feelings. One participant, for example, might explain that she chose the word “overwhelming” because there are too many links on one page, so she finds it hard to search for information. Ultimately, desirability testing is a great place to start. It reveals how the users feel about a design in a way that is quick, easy, and effective. 

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