User Testing On A Budget

🚫 How to Run UX Research Without Access To Users. With practical techniques to avoid guesswork and gather insights if you can’t talk directly to users. Attached cheatsheet (with and without access to users) by Nielsen Norman Group. 🚫 Ask for reasons for no access to users: there might be none. ✅ First, study job openings to map existing workflows/tasks. ✅ Make friends with sales, customer success, support, QA. ✅ Find colleagues who are the closest to your customers. ✅ Convey your questions indirectly via your colleagues. ✅ If you can’t get users to come to you, go where they are. ✅ Ask to observe or shadow customers at their workplace. ✅ Listen in to customer calls and interview call centre staff. ✅ Request access to analytics, CRM reports, call centre logs. ✅ Use Google Trends to find product-related search queries. ✅ Gather insights from search logs, Jira backlog, support tickets. ✅ Explore past/ongoing NPS and Voice-of-Customer programs. ✅ Study reviews, discussions, comments for your product/competitors. ✅ Map key themes and user sentiment on TrustPilot, AppStore etc. ✅ Recruit users via UserTesting, Wynter (B2B), Maze, UserInterviews. ✅ Ask for small but steady commitments: 5 users × 30 mins, 1× month. 🚫 Avoid ad-hoc research: set up regular check-ins and timelines. As H Locke noted, if we shed the light strongly enough from many sources, we might end up getting a glimpse of the truth. Ironically, the stakeholders who can’t give you time or resources to talk to users often are the first to demand evidence to support your initiatives. Sometimes the reason why companies are reluctant to grant access to users is simply the lack of trust. They don’t want to disturb relationships with big clients which is carefully maintained by the customer success team. They might feel that research is merely a technical detail that clients shouldn’t be bothered with. Show that you deeply care about that relationship and that you don’t want to disturb it any way. What you do want though is to reduce costs and risk — the risk of drawing wide-reaching conclusions from very little research, or none at all. Your best shot is to explain research as a powerful risk mitigation tool. And: search for people whose priorities align with yours — people who value and see the impact of UX in their units. They would absolutely love to support your work because it also supports their work — and they will put up a good word for you if they only had known that you existed. ✤ Useful resources: UX Research Cheat Sheet, by Susan Farrell from NN/g (attached) https://lnkd.in/eUTHKWvF What Can You Do When You Have No Access To Users?, by H Locke https://lnkd.in/ewHEKhBS UX Research When You Can’t Talk To Users, by Chris Myhill https://lnkd.in/ez5-b6zf #ux #research

You've probably heard about 'Data-Driven Storytelling' but what the hell does that mean (more marketing jargon)! Essentially every business, charity, or community group already has the insights they need to tell better stories. They’re just buried in email lists, event registrations, website traffic, social media analytics, etc. The beauty of AI is that it can pull all that together and show you what really is working. But...let’s get practical (cause that's the kind of person I am) What do you actually need? 1. Social Media Insights (Free) Start here. Your insights/analytics already tells you: - Which posts perform best - What time people engage - Which topics attract shares or saves You don't need extra tools, just consistent reviewing - once a week or minimum monthly. 2. Google Analytics (Free) See which web pages get the most visitors, where they come from, and what actions they take. Use GA4 to view demographics, locations, and traffic sources. 3. AI analytics assistants (Free/Low-Cost) Using ChatGPT (Pro) you can upload a CSV of your web or social data, ask: 'Summarise top-performing topics and engagement trends.' You don't even need to go into advanced prompting. You can use other tools too eg Google Gemini - free insights from connected Google accounts. We could go into more detail like a using basic CRM and using GPT assistants but let's keep it simple for now. What It Costs - Free tools: Google Analytics, Meta Insights, HubSpot Free, Canva analytics. - Low-cost upgrades: ChatGPT Pro - Larger CRM systems: HubSpot Pro or Salesforce ($$) - really only needed for bigger teams. So.... You don’t need to 'buy AI.' You just need to use AI to read your existing data differently. Start simple: - Review your top 10 posts. - Ask ChatGPT: “What do these posts have in common?” - Use that insight to plan your next story, or post. That’s data-driven storytelling in the AI marketing age.

Think UX research is expensive? It doesn’t have to be. Most teams assume good research means a big budget. ❌ Weeks of testing ❌ Fancy usability labs ❌ Endless reports Here’s the truth: You don’t need more budget. You need faster learning cycles. Here’s how to get real UX insights without the wait and without the cost 🔄 Fast Feedback Loops – The best teams don’t wait for research. They build it in. 📊 Behaviour First – Your users already tell you what’s broken. Tools like Hotjar, GA4 and FullStory show you where they drop off 🗣️ 3 x 10 Rule – Talk to three users for ten minutes each. No research team needed. This surfaces 80% of major issues 🔎 AI-Powered Summaries – Don’t drown in feedback. Use ChatGPT or Notion AI to extract insights in minutes 💬 Support Data = UX Gold – If customers ask the same questions repeatedly that’s a UX problem. Fix it The best UX research isn’t a one-time project It’s a continuous habit and tight loop back into your team. 👉 Are you already using these methods? How close are you to your user feedback? #UXDesign #AI #DigitalTransformation 👋 I’m Scott Lenik, founder of the Neverbland Group, digital experience and growth partners to ambitious forward-thinking brands. I post twice-weekly insights on the role of AI, DX and entrepreneurship 🔔

💡Guerrilla Testing: 5 tips & tricks Guerrilla testing is an informal, low-cost, and rapid method for gathering user feedback on a product. Unlike more formal usability testing, which often takes place in controlled environments with recruited participants, guerrilla testing is typically done in public places with people who are available at the moment, such as in cafes, parks, or shopping malls. 1️⃣ Prepare ✔ Define clear objectives. Before starting, clarify what you want to learn from the testing (and why you want to do it). Focus on specific aspects of your product when defining objectives. ✔ Prepare design materials: Bring sketches, wireframes, or a prototype that can explain product ideas and be easy to interact with. 2️⃣ Choose the right location ✔ High foot traffic areas: Choose places where your target audience is likely to be. ✔ Relaxed atmosphere: Select locations where people feel comfortable and not rushed so that they are more likely willing to participate. ✔ Offer incentives: Offer small incentives like a coffee voucher or a snack to encourage participation. ✔ Be friendly & approachable: A smile and a casual approach go a long way in getting people to participate. ✔ Be ready to improvise: Guerrilla testing environments are unpredictable, so be prepared to adapt your script and approach on the fly. 3️⃣ Keep it simple & engage with participants ✔ Brief introduction: Keep your introduction short and to the point. Explain what you're doing, how long the testing will take, and what participants will get out of it. ✔ Minimal tasks: Focus on 1-3 key tasks during the 10-minute session to keep the testing brief and engaging. 4️⃣ Capture the essentials ✔ Avoid leading questions: Ask open-ended questions to get genuine feedback rather than guiding participants towards a specific response. ✔ Note-taking: Jot down key observations, but don't let it distract you from engaging with the participant. ✔ Record (with permission): If possible, record the session using a phone or a notepad app to capture nuances you might miss during the test. 5️⃣ Analyze and iterate quickly ✔ Immediate review: Go through your notes and recordings as soon as possible to capture fresh insights. ✔ Document and share key findings: Keep a record of all the insights you gathered, and ensure your team has access to this information. 📕 Guides ✔ A guide to guerrilla testing (by Nick Babich)  https://lnkd.in/dhBZbXkW ✔ A Guerrilla Usability Test on Dropbox Photos (by Francine Lee) https://lnkd.in/dNRFUbtd 🖼 Usability testing methods by Maze #usability #ui #uidesign #ux #uxdesign #testing #design

Too many product teams believe meaningful user research has to involve long interviews, Zoom calls, and endless scheduling and note-taking. But honestly? You can get most of what you need without all that hassle. 🙅♂️ I’ve conducted hundreds of live user research conversations in early-stage startups to inform product decisions, and over the years my thinking has evolved on the role of synchronous time. While there’s a place for real-time convos, I’ve found async tools like Loom often uncover sharper insights—faster—when used intentionally. 🚀 Let’s break down the ROI of shifting to async. If you want to interview 5 people for 30 minutes each, that’s 150 minutes of calls—but because two people are on the call (you and the participant), you’re really spending 300 minutes of combined time. Now, let’s say you record a 3-minute Loom with a few focused questions, send it to those same 5 people, and they each take 5 minutes to write their feedback. That’s 8 minutes per person and just 5 minutes once for you. 45 total minutes versus 300. That’s an order-of-magnitude reduction in time to get hyper-focused feedback. 🕒🔍 Just record a quick Loom, pair it with 1-3 specific questions designed to mitigate key risks, and send it to the right people. This async, scrappy approach gathers real feedback throughout the entire product lifecycle (problem validation, solution exploration, or post-launch feedback) without wasting your users' time or yours. Quick example: Imagine your team is torn between an opinionated implementation of a feature vs. a flexible/customizable one. If you walk through both in a quick Loom and ask five target users which they prefer and why, you’ll get a solid read on your overall user base’s mental model. No need for endless scheduling or drawn-out Zoom calls—just actionable feedback in minutes. 🎯 As an added benefit: this approach also allows you to go back to users for more frequent feedback because you're asking for less of their team with each interaction. 🍪 Note that if you haven’t yet established rapport with the users you’re sending the Looms to, it’s a good idea to introduce yourself at the start in a friendly, personal way. Plus, always make sure to express genuine appreciation and gratitude in the video—it goes a long way in building a connection and getting thoughtful responses. 🙏 Now, don’t get me wrong—there’s still a place for synchronous research, especially in early discovery calls when it’s unclear exactly which problem or solution to focus on. Those calls are critical for diving deeper. But once you have a clear hypothesis and need targeted feedback, async tools can drastically reduce the time burden while keeping the signal strong. 💡 Whether it’s problem validation, solution validation, or post-launch feedback, async research tools can get you actionable insights at every stage for a fraction of the time investment.

Running programmess on a tight budget? This Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) guide helps you collect meaningful data using tools you already have: Use registration forms and attendance sheets → Track who’s showing up, how often, and which groups are missing—without buying new software. Let photos, emails, and press mentions do double duty → Visuals, unsolicited emails, and media coverage = rich evidence. Just tag them to match your outcomes. Embrace reflection tools like diaries and storyboards → Paper-based, low-cost, and powerful for capturing change over time—especially from participants' own voices. Mix in quick feedback tools like post-it walls or ‘traffic light’ voting → Perfect for large groups or youth sessions where formal questionnaires fall flat. Capture learning through video or photo diaries → Participants take the lead, creating powerful visuals you can use in reports and community events. Don’t underestimate one-minute tools → Simple games like “rating lines” or “stones in the pond” offer real insight—fast. Focus groups and interviews—but keep them light → Use semi-structured prompts to collect deep feedback, even with limited time or staffing. Only collect what you’ll actually use → This guide reminds you that more data isn’t better—useful data is. You don’t need fancy dashboards or external consultants to evaluate your impact. This toolkit shows how to gather credible, creative, and cost-effective data using the tools already in your hands. #MonitoringAndEvaluation 🔔 Follow me for similar content

Rapid testing is your secret weapon for making data-driven decisions fast. Unlike A/B testing, which can take weeks, rapid tests can deliver actionable insights in hours. This lean approach helps teams validate ideas, designs, and features quickly and iteratively. It's not about replacing A/B testing. It's about understanding if you're moving in the right direction before committing resources. Rapid testing speeds up results, limits politics in decision-making, and helps narrow down ideas efficiently. It's also budget-friendly and great for identifying potential issues early. But how do you choose the right rapid testing method? Task completion analysis measures success rates and time-on-task for specific user actions. First-click tests evaluate the intuitiveness of primary actions or information on a page. Tree testing focuses on how well users can navigate your site's structure. Sentiment analysis gauges user emotions and opinions about a product or experience. 5-second tests assess immediate impressions of designs or messages. Design surveys collect qualitative feedback on wireframes or mockups. The key is selecting the method that best aligns with your specific goals and questions. By leveraging rapid testing, you can de-risk decisions and innovate faster. It's not about replacing thorough research. It's about getting quick, directional data to inform your next steps. So before you invest heavily in that new feature or redesign, consider running a rapid test. It might just save you from a costly misstep and point you towards a more successful solution.

I cannot overstate how important research and testing is. Unfortunately, it can be a tough sell to project managers. There just isn't much time or money to spare in a lean, agile environment. Here are a few tips for conducting meaningful research on a shoestring budget (be that time, money, or both). 1. Collaborate - Don't do this in a silo! Start by speaking with the rest of the team to find out what research they've already done. Depending on the situation and project, even taking a look at founding documents can be a help. 2. Speak with stakeholders - A carefully prepared interview or simple card-sorting activity can reveal a lot quickly, and almost every budget will accommodate post-it notes (or I like to do this in Miro) 3. Competitor analysis - Craete a research document with screen clippings and an analysis of competitors' products' voice, tone, and stand-out phrases. 4. Conversation mining - Visit tech review sites (like G2, Trustpilot, etc.) and competitors' social media pages to see how actual users talk about the products. You can learn common phrases, pain points, and more to address in your copy for a competitive advantage. 5. Black hat sessions - Can't afford user testing? Brushing up on Edward de Bono's Thinking Hats and running a black hat session with your team can illuminate potential usability concerns. 6. Guerilla testing - If you have a prototype you'd like to test, head to a coffee shop and offer to grab someone a cup of coffee if they'd be willing to take a quick look at a prototype. #UX #UXResearch #UXTips # #UXWriting #ContentDesign #DesignThinking #UXStrategy #HumanCenteredDesign #UserExperience #TeamWork #ForTheLoveOfWords

Let’s be real: user interviews are great, but they’re not always practical—especially in B2B marketing, where you're dealing with high-level executives who may not be easily accessible. Here’s how I’ve done it: 1️⃣ Binge-Watch Content and Scan Social Media Why? Because users talk about their pain points and needs in the most unexpected ways. How? I dive into YouTube videos, podcasts, Reddit, Quora, and LinkedIn groups where my target audience discusses products, issues, and challenges. It’s like getting a backstage pass to their thoughts—no interview required. 2️⃣ Dive Into Customer Reviews Why? Customers are already telling you what they love (or hate). You just have to listen. How? I scroll through reviews on G2, Capterra, or Gartner Peer Reviews. It’s an easy way to spot trends, understand frustrations, and get the real scoop from users of similar products. 3️⃣ Use Data to Spot Patterns Why? Data doesn’t lie—it tells you exactly where users are engaged and where they’re frustrated. How? I use tools like Google Analytics or Hotjar to track user behavior—clicks, drop-offs, and time spent on pages—to gain insights into what’s working and what’s not. Sometimes, the best insights come from listening to what’s already out there. No formal interviews needed. How do you get to know your users without asking them directly? #UserInsights #ProductMarketing #PMM #CustomerExperience #UserResearch