Lessons from user testing
It’s been a busy few weeks as I launched my MVP! I’ve been through several rounds of test+iterate and wanted to share the general steps I followed, with some insights specific to my experience.
Determine your goals and testing method
Of course, as with most endeavors, goal-setting is key! Before testing, I developed a couple questions that would be answered when users went through the live app.
- Are they successfully able to finish a game without any experience-breaking features?
- Was the app and game intuitive enough so that no questions would need to be asked about how to use/play it?
- Would you play this kind of game on my app again?
- Would you recommend this kind of game on my app to your friends?
- What would you have liked to see in terms of user experience or game design?
Find a user test population
Second step was to find people who were ultimately those I thought were my target audience. I’ve heard the advice to narrow your target audience down as much as possible for MVP, so you don’t receive feedback that’s beyond the scope of your MVP. That’s good advice! But in the reality of game testing, sometimes beggars can’t be choosers. I welcomed anyone who was interested in the concept. This does mean more work in step 5 – parsing the feedback – so that my target audience’s feedback would be prioritized. On the other hand, a diverse range of testers gives more insight on features beyond the MVP stage.
I decided to test live in person so I could see my testers use the app in person. This was a great move, as I was able to hear their questions live, ask them questions, and watch them silently as they navigated the app and the game. I definitely recommend this if it’s possible for you.
Set the stage for testers
Third was ensuring my testers were on the same page as I was. Explaining the testing goals, sharing the known gaps of the MVP, and fostering an environment where testers feel comfortable sharing feedback – these were all paramount!
In my experience, I found that testers are sometimes hesitant to give feedback that they think are minor, because they don’t want to downplay everything else that’s great. Assuaging this concern helped me obtain feedback that was actually a quick fix on my end in exchange for a boost in user experience.
Collect feedback with an open mind
Sometimes I received feedback that didn’t align with my vision for the product. Or I received feedback that the tester didn’t like a feature that other testers thought was great. One time, I received feedback that maybe I should just scrap the whole thing because a non-app method would be better. And that’s okay!
It’s easy to feel a bruised ego when hearing this, and that might mean you’re too attached to the product and not the users. But it’s better to keep a curious and open-mind and ask why – why do you feel that way? Why do you not like this part? What would make you enjoy it more? Keep an open mind when collecting feedback, but be rigorous in parsing out what is valuable and what is not. This leads me to the last step.
Parse feedback and get back to user testing
After each testing round, I received a long list of feedback items. Some were easy bug fixes, others were complex overhauls. I heard what people liked, what they didn’t like, proposed solutions, alternative methods, everything! But I only have so much time to iterate on the app, and I had to discern which items on the list were worth tackling now vs later vs never. It’s more of an art than a science, but with my product vision in mind, I had to prune down that list mercilessly and put the re-iterated version to the test again. If I chose the wrong thing to prioritize, I’ll likely find out with more user testing. That’s why I am so rigorous with choosing the highest impact but quick improvements so that I don’t delay another round of user tests.
Final thoughts
The most important thing I’ve gleaned from these rounds of test+iterate is the user testing muscle. It’s now a habit; something I do on a regular basis for my product. User testing isn’t just for MVP. It’s important to continue user testing even when the product is much further than that. Users are the heart of the product and hearing from them directly is a great way to make them love your product!