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Before usability testing, you had to deal with products people didn’t really love. The products may have been born from great ideas but the execution was kinda lacking.
And all you got from your clients was, “Meh, I’ve seen better.”
While that’s disheartening to hear, the thing that stuck most with you was your team’s reaction. Seeing the sadness on their faces broke something in you.
So, you decided to use usability testing before launching your next product.
Great! But as you worked on it, you realized that doing it from scratch is tough. It’s too complex. And you get lost in all the stuff you need to figure out.
You put on a brave face in front of your team. But you’re at the end of your rope.
Luckily, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. With a good ole template, you can create the streamlined usability testing process of your dreams.
So, what are you waiting for? Start saving some time with our seven usability testing templates for different workflows, varying from feedback templates to useful checklists to ones focusing on accessibility.
All great starting points for you. Using them will surely make your life easier!
Table of contents
Main usability test plan template (aka the bible)
Usability testing checklist template
Usability testing task breakdown template
Prototype usability testing template
Accessibility usability testing template
Remote usability testing template
Frequently asked questions (faqs)
Main usability test plan template (aka the bible)
Our first downloadable template is the mother of all templates. Queen of the usability test. Khaleesi of great products.
It’s the holy grail for all your usability testing plans. That’s why we fondly refer to it as the bible.
It contains everything you need, from the beginning to the end of your usability testing process.
And it’s definitely handy when you want to craft a comprehensive usability testing plan.
Overall, this is a free template with a detailed focus, enabling you to create a thorough research plan. It’s rooted in a detailed methodology that concentrates on key metrics.
What’s in it?
We split the usability testing bible (like part of the actual Bible) into four ‘gospels’:
- The Overview — Which includes the author of the project, their contact details, and final deadline for the deliverables.
- The Project — Here’s where you can go wild with details about your project. You have plenty of space to talk about the goals, the product under test, or who’s responsible for what.
- The Audience — Never EVER forget about your target audience. Make sure everyone involved knows who the product is for by adding all the juicy tidbits.
- The Session — This is where you can talk about how you’re gonna conduct the test. Add equipment, location details, the metrics you wanna measure — anything goes!
These are all key steps you need to follow in every usability test.
Plus, it fits all usability testing methods. So, no matter which one you want to use, this template will get you the usability testing results you desire.
And make sure everyone is aware of the parameters of your usability survey.
➡️Get the downloadable template
Usability testing checklist template
Don’t really want to indulge in a detailed methodology and research? Do you want to move slightly quicker through the usability study?
Of course. Anything for you! 🫶 Introducing the…
This questionnaire is quick, simple, and, most importantly, actionable. You might wanna use this checklist if you wanna perform a quick usability test without focusing too much on all the details.
It’s a perfect starting point for those who want to keep tabs on all the process steps. This way, you can clearly see the remaining tasks and can easily follow them step-by-step.
What’s in it?
In it, you’ll find three sections: before, during, and after.
Why did we split it this way? Because it’s easier to follow.
You have all the next steps in an orderly fashion. And you clearly understand what you need to do, such as handing out consent forms.
Plus, we think that the middle (the during phase) is as important as the user research. In fact, it’s like an Oreo. 🍪 The middle is the best part.
Without it, there’s no successful usability testing. These three steps are all vital for keeping the good vibes going.
So, use this usability testing report template with confidence!
➡️Get the downloadable template
Usability testing task breakdown template
Here’s another useful template for you.
It’s mostly for people who like to use their imagination and creativity. And come up with scenarios that’ll help them get the user feedback they need to create amazing products.
For example, put your users to imagine they need to buy a cool set of china. The task is to start from the homepage, browse the website, and find the china in the color they want. Then, they should add it to their cart and yadda, yadda.
The more descriptive you are, the better. So, we’d like you to meet the usability testing task breakdown template! 🤝
You can also call it a usability testing script.
It’s a great way to organize your thoughts and create testing scenarios that align with your goals.
What’s in it?
It’s a simpler template than others. It has two sections:
- Goals: Setting a goal will help you craft tasks. It basically sketches out the task’s purpose.
For example, let’s say you want to make buying products easier on a website.
Then, the task and scenario should relate to purchasing a T-shirt and how a user completes the order process.
- Usability tasks: Here’s where you describe a task.
We’ve designed this template in a tabular format so it’s easy to follow. It features seven specific criteria, each briefly described to provide clear guidance. As you complete each task detailed in the table, you’ll gain a clearer vision of your end goal for each exercise, enhancing your overall usability testing process.
And help you in your product development process.
➡️Get the downloadable template
Prototype usability testing template
So, you have a new idea for a product. It looks great on paper, yet some team members question its usability.
Maybe it’s not as easy to navigate as you imagined. 🤔
Here’s a usability testing template designed to refine and highlight your product features, ensuring they deliver the desired user experience in the final product.
It’s a very handy template for the early stages of your product. You’re able to see how testers navigate the user flow, UX, and other functionalities and if they perform the task you expect them to.
This part is crucial because you want your users to arrive at their destination without too much hassle. They should breeze through the website and easily find what they’re looking for. Not leave the page in frustration.
In a nutshell, doing a usability test for a prototype impacts how your product development roadmap performs in the future.
It shows you if your team is moving in the right direction.
What’s in it?
Our product template contains all the elements that focus on the wireframe. And what questions your usability test needs to answer at this critical stage.
Start with who’s responsible for the overall test, from trainer to recruiter to test observers. Then, move on to describing your prototype and what aspect of the product you’re trying to improve.
Remember to add some details about your ideal participants and find ways to actively recruit them.
The rest is more or less the same as the bible.
➡️Get the downloadable template
Accessibility usability testing template
There’s one thing you should never EVER forget when designing your products…
Accessibility.
If you do ignore it, you’ll alienate a good part of your audience. People with disabilities (speech, visual, physical, etc.) need to access your product as easily as someone without impairments.
This template makes sure you create a space where people with disabilities will feel comfortable. And safe.
What’s in it?
Ta-da! It’s a checklist (again).
It’s not a template about what to focus on when testing accessibility. Or how to craft your test questions.
It’s mostly a template for having in-person moderated usability tests for people with different abilities.
Now that we think about it, some of the points apply to remote testing, too! Like the stuff related to ensuring your software is accessible for people of all disabilities.
It offers:
- The steps you need to take before the test
- How to prepare for it
- And how to make life easier for people with different disabilities
It’s a practical template that puts the disabled person in the spotlight.
➡️Get the downloadable template
Usability feedback template
You’re excited about your idea. You want to make it perfect.
However, you also need to know what your peers think of it. Yet you already pestered them with how excited you are about the product. You don’t want to annoy them further with questions about your prototype.
Plus, they already have too much on their plate. What to do? 😢
Ask people outside your team, duhh! That’s what the usability tests are for, after all.
Getting your user’s opinion is a great way to see how your product performs. It also helps you get the qualitative feedback you need to improve it.
You can shape it in different ways.
Use a single easy question (SEQ) where users rate task difficulty on a scale from one to 10 (from hard to easy). Or, simply ask questions about the user’s experience with the product.
Like we did in our template!
What’s in it?
Here’s a template you can customize however you want.
We’ve included a few relevant questions, but you can add your own. Ask any amount of questions about the aspects you’re interested in.
And don’t be shy about getting specific. Ask questions about a feature you really wanna test, like if the checkout is easy to do. Encourage your users to say what they have on their minds, what they dislike — anything goes.
It’s your test, you should do whatever you want. 😉
➡️Get the downloadable template
Remote usability testing template
Don’t have time to prepare a grand in-person usability test? You don’t need to!
Our last template involves remote usability testing.
It’s a useful way to get the data you need from people around the globe, without the hassle of organizing everything. For example, you can use this method if you don’t have a huge budget and want to test the design of a product on a broader range of people.
All you need is a screen-recording tool. And great observation skills. 😉
What’s in it?
Firstly, enter the details of the person performing the analysis – this could be you or a teammate. Simply add their name and the date.
Then, add essential information about the person being assessed.
Once this is done, the next step is observation. Review the screen recordings from the user interview and jot down key observations about your product.
Easy peasy!
➡️Get the downloadable template
Enjoy hassle-free reviews and approvals during usability testing
Hear that? If you strain hard enough, you’ll probably hear your future self saying two little words:
“Thaaaank youuuu…”
You’re welcome! 🫶
But wait! We have one more surprise for you. How can you gather feedback from your users easily and without hassle?
With MarkUp.io, of course.
It’s a collaboration tool where you upload your content in a Workspace. Invite users and stakeholders to collaborate, and get feedback from them with a single click.
And no, we’re not joking – this is exactly what MarkUp.io is all about.
Plus, it supports over 30 different file formats. Think websites, images, PDFs, videos, etc.
Sounds like a pretty good deal. Want to test it out? Then, sign up for a free 30-day trial today.
Frequently asked questions (faqs)
What’s that? You want to know more about usability testing? And what is it? Then, my friend, you came to the right place.
Here are some frequently asked questions that we have the answer for.
That’s all fine, but what exactly is usability testing?
Well, let’s define it, shall we?
Usability testing is a strategy for evaluating a site’s or mobile app’s design. And testing its readiness for launch.
You usually gather a group of real users (part of your target demographics). And let them use the product by completing tasks. A moderator notices things like where they stumbled. Or how long they struggled with a task.
There are three types of usability testing methods:
- Moderated and unmoderated testing
- In-person and remote testing
- Quantitative and qualitative data
And why is usability testing important?
A good question.
In a nutshell, usability testing is important because it makes sure your app and website work properly. And are easy to navigate.
That’s user testing’s primary goal. It shows you how users interact with your product. And how easy it is for them to reach a certain page.
Doing this helps you identify usability pain points
You can work on improving the user’s experience until the big launch day.
How can I do usability testing?
To conduct usability testing effectively, you need a testing plan:
- First step is having a clear goal. Think of what you want to achieve. Stuff like how many people you need. Or how they reach the menu.
Then, recruit the right people.
- Choose your usability testing method. How do you want to proceed? Is it a big project? Or do you have a lower budget?
See which one suits your needs. And start planning.
- Develop realistic tasks for your participants. Make sure your tasks are easy to understand. And that the ‘guinea pigs’ can easily follow the instructions.
- Decide on the metrics you want to evaluate. User research and data go hand in hand.
You have to choose your metrics during the UX research process. People involved in the project will know what type of data they need to collect.
- Analyze the results. Usability testing done! Congrats!
Now, gather those actionable insights. And start analyzing them to identify areas of improvement.
