Why do we use tasks and scenarios in user research?
Why do we use tasks and scenarios in user research? What is the difference between the two? How do we author them? Here's the deal:
Scenarios provide context for situational questions and the tasks that follow, in order to set testers up for success. “Scenarios” are set up to encourage or motivate participants to explore or interact with the aspects we want to learn about. They help us:
Understand how people use our product in these situations, why they use it that way, and what they experience as they do so
See where people are struggling
Identify opportunities where we can improve
Scenario and task approaches vary from heavy involvement to almost none.
A moderator may be very conversational and interactive with a participant, guiding or interrupting every single step of the way
< IN CONTRAST >
An independent exercise may be provided for testers to complete on their own without moderator interaction
The approach should consider the product/stimuli maturity, the type of stimuli, and the research goal(s). Understanding and communicating a relatable scenario and the correct sequence of steps, or tasks, is instrumental for success.
How to create tasks and scenarios?
Identify what people need to do (in general) on the platform being tested. These are their end goals. For example, register for a class, purchase a ticket, compare features and benefits, submit a question, etc.
List the typical actions, and the steps, required to achieve the goal associated with the research objectives. E.g. what people need to do, or experience, in order to achieve that goal.
Organize the tasks in a realistic sequence that would make sense to testers.
Challenge your questions and tasks to ensure they all fit within your session’s time frame. Reduce the number of goals/tasks accordingly
Review your tasks with others for clarity and sequence accuracy
Task and scenario writing best practices
> Set the context to make the situation feel natural and realistic
Ex: “Imagine you’re interested in this home on 123 Maple Street and want to learn more about the safety of the neighborhood.”
> Start with action-oriented verbs
Ex: “Please *SHOW* me how you would go about that.”
> Avoid hints and leading terms
Ex: “Please show me how you would go about that” vs. “Please show me how you would find "local crime information”. (This is leading as the name of the tab is "local crime information”.
This week in our Ask Like A Pro user research workshop series our students are authoring their discussion guides. Those working on evaluative research projects are thinking about the most relatable tasks and scenarios for their recruits.
Happy task and scenario writing!
