How do you conduct a cognitive walkthrough with users and experts?

1 What is a cognitive walkthrough?

A cognitive walkthrough is a method of usability testing that focuses on the learnability and intuitiveness of a product or service. It is based on the assumption that users will try to achieve their goals by exploring the available options and following cues from the interface. A cognitive walkthrough can be performed by experts or users, or both, depending on the purpose and scope of the evaluation. Experts can use their knowledge and experience to assess the design from a user's perspective, while users can provide direct feedback and insights on their actual behavior and expectations.

2 How to prepare for a cognitive walkthrough?

Before conducting a cognitive walkthrough, you need to define the target users and their characteristics, such as their skills, knowledge, preferences, and motivations. Additionally, you should identify the tasks or scenarios you want to test, such as signing up, making a purchase, or finding information. Furthermore, you should define the success criteria or metrics you will use to measure the usability and effectiveness of the product or service, such as completion rate, error rate, satisfaction, or time. Lastly, you should create questions or prompts to guide the cognitive walkthrough, such as: will the user know what to do at this step? Will the user notice the correct option or action? Will the user understand the feedback or outcome of their action? Will the user be satisfied with their experience?

3 How to conduct a cognitive walkthrough with experts?

To conduct a cognitive walkthrough with experts, you need to gather a group of evaluators who have relevant knowledge and experience in the domain and the user group of the product or service. You can assign different roles to the evaluators, such as a facilitator, a recorder, or a commentator. The steps of a cognitive walkthrough with experts involve introducing the product or service, the target users, the tasks, and the success criteria to the evaluators. Ask them to walk through the tasks, either using a prototype, a mockup, or a live version of the product or service, and answer the questions or prompts at each step. Record the evaluators' comments, observations, and issues, and rate the usability and effectiveness of the product or service based on the success criteria. Finally, discuss and summarize the findings and recommendations with the evaluators, and prioritize the most critical or frequent problems or usability issues.

4 How to conduct a cognitive walkthrough with users?

To conduct a cognitive walkthrough with users, you need to recruit a representative sample of your target users and invite them to participate in a session. Depending on availability and preference, the session can be conducted in person or remotely. Different methods can be used to collect data from the users, such as think-aloud, observation, interview, or questionnaire. The steps of a cognitive walkthrough with users include introducing the product or service, the purpose and goals of the session, and the tasks to the users, and obtaining their consent and agreement. Ask the users to walk through the tasks, either using a prototype, a mockup, or a live version of the product or service, and encourage them to think aloud and share their thoughts and feelings at each step. Record the users' actions, reactions, and feedback, and measure the usability and effectiveness of the product or service based on the success criteria. Finally, debrief and thank the users, and ask them to complete a questionnaire or an interview to gather more information on their satisfaction, preferences, and suggestions.

5 What are the benefits and challenges of a cognitive walkthrough?

Conducting a cognitive walkthrough can provide valuable insights and feedback on the usability and learnability of a product or service, especially in the early stages of the design process. It is relatively easy and quick to conduct, as it does not require a lot of resources or preparation, and can be performed with low-fidelity or high-fidelity prototypes, sketches, or wireframes. Additionally, it can involve both experts and users, and generate qualitative and quantitative data. However, it may not capture the real context and environment of the user, reflect their actual needs and goals, or provide enough feedback or suggestions on how to improve the product or service. It may also be influenced by the evaluator's bias or assumptions, and not represent the user's true opinions or preferences.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?