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Module
Module 4 of 5Lesson 2 of 2~14 min

Run a usability test and prioritize the problems

Asking users whether they like an idea does not tell you whether they can use it. This lesson teaches you to prepare and run a usability test that observes real behavior, then rank what you saw to decide what to fix first before another round of testing.

Take this lesson: your first course is freeSee the full syllabus

Lesson objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to write a usability test script with non-leading tasks, run a think-aloud session and rank the observed problems by severity to decide what to fix before retesting.

Topics covered

  • usability testing
  • user testing
  • think-aloud protocol
  • problem severity
  • UX research

Where it fits

Prototype and test

Does it work for real users?

Lessons in this module

  1. Prototype, including with AI
  2. Run a usability test and prioritize the problems (this lesson)

What you will learn in the course

This lesson is part of the course Design and validate a product experience with AI

  • Write a user-centered, testable problem statement backed by discovery evidence.
  • Prepare, run and synthesize unbiased discovery interviews, using AI for preparation and synthesis without delegating judgment to it.
  • Build a persona and job stories grounded in real quotes, then choose a target opportunity in an opportunity solution tree.
  • Map a flow with its edge cases and turn it into low-fidelity wireframes that cover every screen state.
  • Choose a prototype's fidelity and tool (including an AI prototyping tool), run a usability test and prioritize the problems observed.
  • Prioritize a backlog with an explicit method (RICE, MoSCoW, value / effort), making the score's assumptions visible, and justify the trade-off.
  • Build an outcome-based roadmap with success criteria, and write a handoff spec with acceptance criteria.

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