Build 35

User Validation

User validation can be broken into two equally valuable buckets. The more formal ergonomics and usability testing seek to ensure that a design and execution are comfortable and intuitive to users. Less formally, a walk-through with users might seek to gather their feelings and thoughts as they experience a product or service. While usability testing might reveal that low-contrast buttons are affecting a user’s ability to complete a goal, less quantitative approaches could reveal that users feel a color palette is too institutional for an in-home experience.

Because users don’t have a stake in the product’s success, they provide fresh perspectives and insights. When user validation is conducted before a product’s launch, the input can help to prioritize features, refine executions, and create an experience with broader appeal. Perhaps most importantly, it mitigates the risk of shipping a product or service with embarrassing mistakes or oversights. By regularly integrating user validation into the design and implementation processes, a team ensures fewer surprises and dramatic changes in direction.