How do you coordinate Usability Testing across multiple platforms?

1 Define your goals and scope

Before you start planning your usability testing, you need to define your goals and scope clearly. What are the main questions you want to answer? What are the key features or tasks you want to test? What are the platforms you want to cover? How many users and sessions do you need? Having a clear and realistic scope will help you prioritize your testing activities and avoid wasting time and resources.

2 Choose your tools and methods

Depending on your goals and scope, you will need to choose the appropriate tools and methods for your usability testing. There are many options available, such as remote or in-person testing, moderated or unmoderated testing, qualitative or quantitative testing, and various software and hardware tools. You should consider the pros and cons of each option, as well as the availability and suitability of the tools for each platform. For example, if you want to test a mobile app, you might need a tool that can record the screen and gestures of the users, as well as their voice and facial expressions.

3 Recruit and segment your users

Another important step is to recruit and segment your users according to the platforms you want to test. You should aim to have a representative sample of your target audience, with a balanced mix of demographics, behaviors, and preferences. You should also consider the platform-specific characteristics of your users, such as their device type, operating system, browser, screen size, and internet connection. You can use screening questions, surveys, or analytics to segment your users and assign them to the appropriate platform.

4 Prepare your test materials and scenarios

Once you have your tools and users ready, you need to prepare your test materials and scenarios. These include the instructions, tasks, questions, and feedback forms that you will use during the testing sessions. You should make sure that your test materials and scenarios are consistent across all platforms, but also adapted to the specific features and limitations of each platform. For example, you might need to adjust the wording, layout, or navigation of your tasks to suit the different platforms.

5 Conduct and monitor your testing sessions

The next step is to conduct and monitor your testing sessions. You should follow a standard protocol for each session, such as greeting the user, explaining the purpose and process of the test, asking for consent, setting up the tools, presenting the tasks, asking follow-up questions, and thanking the user. You should also monitor the quality and progress of the sessions, and troubleshoot any technical or logistical issues that might arise. You should record and document the sessions, either manually or automatically, for later analysis.

6 Analyze and report your findings

The final step is to analyze and report your findings. You should review the data and feedback collected from the testing sessions, and look for patterns, insights, and recommendations. You should also compare and contrast the results across the different platforms, and identify any similarities or differences in the user behavior, satisfaction, and performance. You should present your findings in a clear and concise report, with relevant charts, quotes, and screenshots. You should also highlight the main strengths and weaknesses of your product, and suggest possible improvements for each platform.

7 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?