Design Thinking – Stage 5: Test

Design thinking is becoming more and more prevalent in training design. Consisting of five stages (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test) [link to previous articles], it is a human-centered design approach that helps designers create outstanding learning experiences.

Through interviews, observations, the creation of empathy maps and learner personas, designers connect with the learner and gain valuable insights in the Empathize and Define stages. In the Ideation stage, data collected in the first two stages is interpreted and designers define a problem statement before ideating some concepts. Equipped with a variety of ideas collected through brainstorming, mind maps or analogies, designers move on to the Prototype stage, in which they produce a number of  inexpensive, scaled down versions of the solution. The prototype should be shared within the team and a wider audience to get as much feedback as possible. In this stage, designers move from an abstract idea to a more tangible product. Once a prototype is in place, the designer can move on to test the solution.

Test

It’s most important to remember that, despite the fact that testing is the last step in the design thinking process, it is certainly an iterative process. Meaning, results from the test phase are used to redefine problems, inform the understanding of users, how people think, behave and feel. Rigorous testing should be done not just by the designer, but by other evaluators to ensure the solution meets the learners’ needs. As a result, designers may have to go back to the drawing board and come up with a different solution.

User Testing

User testing can certainly happen throughout the design thinking process, but let’s take a look at some ways of conducting good usability tests. It is best to use a natural setting to test the prototype, meaning the familiar environment the learner is used to. The goal should be to have learners use the prototype like they would in real life as much as possible. Follow these guidelines for best outcomes:

• Tell the user that you are testing the prototype, not the user
• If possible, have alternatives for the prototype so you can test which version works best
• Do not over explain the prototype but watch the learner use it, and write down your observations
• Ask users to talk through their experience when using the prototype
• If you only want to test certain portions of the prototype, have specific  tasks ready that the learner should perform
• When you observe the learner, make sure you don’t disrupt the user’s interaction
• Ask follow-up questions to clarify what the user is describing
• Think about having an additional person to take notes and write down observations so you can focus on the learner

Negative and Positive Feedback

Don’t be discouraged by negative feedback. On the contrary, negative feedback can provide lots of insights into your solution. It can help designers find new ways to solve the same problems, or help discover previously unconsidered problems. Designers have to seek feedback wherever possible, conduct test using real end-users, analyze the results to determine what’s working and what isn’t. The end goal is a desirable, feasible and viable solution.

Desirable and Feasible Solutions

Desirability relates to the focus on people. It is at the heart of design thinking: human-centred design. A solution always needs to be appeal to the needs, emotions, and behaviours of our learners. Feasibility refers to the technology in place and answers the question if your design solution is technically possible. Technology shouldn’t hold you back, but sometimes a solution cannot be implemented without occurring huge costs.

To summarize, despite having five, as it seems liner stages, the design thinking process is fluid, iterative and flexible. Stages feed into one another and form iterative loops, they don’t follow necessarily any sequence in a project. The best gauge of success is when your training solution satisfies the desirability and feasibility tests.

Trackback from your site.