Encourage the User to Think Aloud

By encouraging the user to speak their thoughts, you will understand the user's thought processes better. This will tell you if your expectations meet the user's.

Before the user clicks a link or submits a form (such as a search form), ask them what they expect to find on the next page. After the click, ask them if the result is what they expected.

A word of warning!

Try not to coerce the user into telling you what you want to hear.

For example, you might ask the test subject, "Do you like the logo design?" The user is more inclined to reply, "Yes," as people usually don't like to hurt your feelings.

A less leading question could be something like, "Is there anything on the page that you particularly like?" If they answer, "Yes," follow-up with, "What in particular do you like about the page?"

If the test subject does not indicate that they like your logo, you know that it clearly hasn't impressed them in particular.

Listen Carefully to What They Have to Say >>>