Category C: Experience testing
What is it?
An experience test is to examine an experience through an analysis of user behavior and personal experience. The
method is a combination of
observations,
ethnoraids and short
semi-structured interviews.
Experience testing can be used to identify the value of
different components of an experience and uncover any need for changes.
Experience
testing is suitable for understanding user experience, including whom they are, why they are using the experience, if they
have done it before, where they know of it, their beliefs and needs, and what
they actually appreciate about the experience. It can also uncover what they
think could be done better. Experience testing provides a qualitative
investigation into users’ experience and can qualify and complement further
inquiries using ethnographic methods.
How is it done?
Choose the experience
Find
the date, time and place of the experience you want to test. Consider if there
is a more adequate time, e.g. if there are more users present. Compose a
loosely structured interview guide with 5-7 topics you want to cover. There may
be some especially important topics to focus on depending on the nature of the
experience.
Conduct the experience test
Follow
the other users. Do short on-the-spot interviews and take notes/photos, which
can be used to evaluate the experience. Ensure that you are there on the same
terms as the other guests; you might not otherwise get an accurate image of the
composition of the experience.
Evaluate the feedback from the
guests, your impressions and the documentation
Immediately
after the experience testing, you should discuss which parts of the experience
were mentioned positively and which parts were mentioned negatively. Write down
the key points and pick direct quotes to support them. You can gather the
challenges and recommendations from this material and the general view of the
experience it brings.
What does it take?
Time frame
The
method requires at least 1 hour for preparation of questions and camera; and
then subsequently the duration of the experience. You should set aside 1-2
hours for analysis and evaluation.
Materials
- Interview guide with
loosely structured questions for on-the-spot interviews.
- Camera for
documentation.
- Notebook for notes
along the way.
- A computer for
analyzing the material and formulating key points, challenges and
recommendation.
Resources
The
method takes 1-2 employees. They don’t necessarily need to have any specific
skills. The method is furthered by an empathic and attentive approach towards
the experience.
Case
Problem
Fred
is the manager of music venue. He wants to find out how the guests know about
the venue and be sure the marketing is working optimally. He is also very
interested in the younger audience and wants to know what this target group
thinks of the venue and the music. He decides to do experience testing to shed
some light on the situation.
Approach
First
he chooses a concert and two unaffiliated friends to do an experience test.
There is an upcoming concert, which is sold out, and Fred is certain there will
be quite a few young people. His two friends, Morgan and Jack, goes to the
concert, stands in line with the other guests, use the wardrobe, buys from the
bar and listens to the music on equal terms with the other guests. They conduct
on-the-spot interviews about the venue, how people have heard about it, if
there is something special they like or dislike, if they have used the venue’s
website, and if something could be improved. Along the way they take notes on
the behavior of the guests and take pictures for documentation. They notice
that many of the guests have heard about the concert through the venue’s
newsletter, and that especially the young people think it is a great place.
Several people mention that they hadn’t heard of the place before a friend
recommended it, and that the selection of beers in the bar isn’t adequate to
meet their needs.
Analysis
After
the experience test, Morgan and Jack write their last comments and points and
gather their photos. They go through the material and establish the points they
agreed on. From here, Morgan and Jack gather the negative statements as a list
of challenges and the positive statements as recommendations. They find some
good quotes, which support their main point and also use the photos as a visual
tool in the presentation to Fred.
Result
The
insights from the experience test informs Fred of the
possibility of using the newsletter more actively as a key part of their
communication but also to place posters for the venue. This will allow for a
greater exposure in the city. He also learned that the younger audience like
the place but are missing a greater selection of beers in the bar. Because of
the insights gained from the experience test, he has a list with some good
spots to advertise the venue and some directions on which beers to acquire for
the bar.
More
on the method
Experience
testing is especially effective in combination with
focus group interviews,
structured interviews and
questionnaires
.
Links