What happens in a usability test?
In a usability test you try to complete a few realistic tasks on a website or app while saying what you are thinking, on a recording. A typical unmoderated test takes 15 to 45 minutes: a short screener, a microphone and screen-share check, two or three tasks, a couple of questions after each one, and a short wrap-up. Nobody watches live; a reviewer approves the recording afterwards.
Before the test
- A consent screen says exactly what will be recorded and how it is used. On Inflight: your voice, the study tab and what you do in it; never your camera or other tabs.
- A device check confirms your microphone works and that you are in Google Chrome.
- You share the study tab. A red dot shows whenever recording is on.
- A screener asks a few questions about you and the kind of product. Answer honestly; a screen-out takes a minute and is not held against you.
- A short warm-up gets you used to talking while you click.
The tasks
Each task is a short scenario: "You're planning a weekend trip; book two nights for next Friday." You do it the way you would at home, talking as you go. When you think you are done, you say so; if you would give up at this point in real life, you say that instead. Both are fine and both are paid. After each task you answer a couple of quick questions: why you stopped, how easy it felt, and sometimes a question about something you saw.
You may get stuck. That is normal, and it is what the designers want to see. How to think aloud explains what to say when it happens.
After the test
A few wrap-up questions, a completion code, and the study goes to review. On Inflight pay lands in your balance when the study is approved, usually within two working days, and you cash out to PayPal from $6.
Moderated tests
A moderated test is the same thing with a researcher on a video call, asking follow-up questions. They are scheduled, last longer, and pay more. Interview marketplaces such as Respondent and User Interviews list them; Inflight studies are unmoderated.
Questions people ask next
- Is anyone watching me?
- Not on an unmoderated test. The recording is reviewed afterwards by a person or a system checking that you took part in good faith.
- What if I finish the task wrong?
- You are still paid. A false sense of completion is one of the most valuable things a test can reveal.
- How long does it take?
- Inflight studies run about 15 to 45 minutes, and the expected time is shown before you start.