Have you ever built a prototype in Figma and believed it looked splendid, only to have someone take a look at it and find all kinds of problems with it? User testing will certainly help you avoid this issue by identifying potential problems with your design before they become actual problems. This blog will explain why user testing is essential and how you can carry out Figma user testing for your prototypes.
Figma is a great tool for user testing. It allows you to create wireframes, prototypes, and simulations very smoothly, and it has a wide range of features for testing various aspects of a user interface. Its easy-to-use interface and wide range of features make it an excellent choice for testing different aspects of a user interface.
User Testing 101
One of the best features of Figma is its ability to export your prototypes as PDFs or PNGs, which makes it simple to share them with other team members and test users. Besides, Figma allows you to run different types of tests on your prototypes, such as A/B testing, user interviews, and usability tests. There is no one right answer to this question, as when to run a usability test will vary depending on the project and its specific needs. Nevertheless, here are some general guidelines that can help you determine when the time is right for your Figma prototype.
If you are creating a new product or updating an existing one, it is generally advisable to run a usability test early on in the design process. It will allow you to catch any potential problems with the interface before too much development work has been done.
If you are working on an existing product and making little changes, running a full usability test may not be so necessary. Else, you could perform a quick check of the new design to make sure that it is working as intended. If you are not sure whether or not to run a usability test, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
However, in most cases, it is more recommendable to spend a little time on testing and fixing any potential issues early on in the design process rather than dealing with them later on when they may be more difficult and expensive to fix. With Figma, you can easily create prototypes that look and feel like the real thing, so you can be sure your users will have a positive experience when trying out your product.
Figma User Testing Procedure
As we already mentioned, user testing is an important part of the design process, and it is imperative to test prototypes early and often. But how do you know when a prototype is ready for user testing? And what should you do if you have both high-fidelity and low-fidelity prototypes? In this section, we will provide some answers to this.
In general terms, you should test the highest-fidelity prototype that is achievable. It means that if you have a high-fidelity prototype and a low-fidelity prototype, you should test the high-fidelity prototype, always. Yet, there are some exceptions to this rule, which are the following.
If the low-fidelity prototype is more accurate than the high-fidelity prototype, then you should test the low-fidelity prototype. For instance, if you are testing a website and the low-fidelity prototype is a paper prototype, it will be more accurate than the high-fidelity prototype, which might be a digital prototype.
Also, if the low-fidelity prototype is more user-friendly than the high-fidelity prototype, then you should test the low-fidelity prototype, too. For example, imagine that you are testing an app and the low-fidelity prototype is an early version simplified for ease of use. In that case, it will probably be more user-friendly than the high-fidelity prototype. Moreover, if you are unsure which prototype to test, it is often a good idea to test both prototypes. It will give you a better sense of how the design progresses and which prototype is more accurate or user-friendly.
What to Avoid in Figma User Testing
In this section, we will discuss some things that you should avoid at all costs when running a Figma user testing. User testing is a splendid way to improve the usability of your Figma prototypes. By identifying and correcting common mistakes, you can make sure that your prototypes are as user-friendly as possible. Here is the list of the mistakes that are most made.
One of the most common mistakes is not allowing users to complete tasks. It is important to give users enough time to experiment with the prototype and answer your questions as best they can. Otherwise, you may not get the accurate feedback that you need to improve your work.
The second mistake to not make is not providing clear instructions to the users. Users need clear instructions to understand what they are supposed to do. If they do not know what they are supposed to do, then they will not be able to provide accurate feedback to you.
Furthermore, another mistake is not providing enough context to your users. They need to understand the context of the prototype to give helpful feedback. If they do not know why a particular feature is being tested, then they will not provide the helpful feedback that you require.
Finally, another common mistake to avoid is not utilizing consumer insights. It is critical to dive into the feedback and opinions of the respondents to fully understand the results of the test. Fully understanding the feedback is how you can identify and correct usability issues before they become a problem. Avoiding all these common mistakes will help you run more effective usability tests on Figma prototypes.
Final Thoughts
Figma user testing is a key tool for improving your designs. The information provided in this blog will be of help to become a better designer regarding prototyping in Figma.
