Prove you’re right

Reckon you know best? You probably do, but it helps to have proof.

It’s a decent idea to test a design before presenting it to other stakeholders. It could save a world of iteration pain, and avoid making the concept worse.

Here’s three ways to test designs. (Cheers Paul Boag.)

  • A semantic differential survey where you ask users to assess a design against a list of brand keywords. If the user associates the design with the chosen keywords, you know the design has gone in the right direction.
  • A 5-second test where you show users your design for 5 seconds and ask what they recall and what the site is about. This is a great way of easily identifying whether users “get” what the website is about and what draws their attention.
  • Finally there is the first-click test. In this test we ask users were they would click to complete critical business tasks. If users confidently click in the right place then you know your design is easy to use.