Research methods quiz

The research methods entries in the glossary, in brief. Open any one for the interactive demo behind it.

Heuristic evaluation

A quick expert review that checks an interface against a short set of usability rules - you can see this in action right here.

Five-second test

Show a design for five seconds, then ask what they remember. What sticks is what the layout really shouts - and what it quietly hides.

First-click testing

First-click testing asks one simple question: where do users go first to complete a task? That first click matters more than any other - get it right and the task usually follows; get it wrong and it rarely recovers.

Usability testing

Watching real people attempt real tasks with your design, to find where it trips them up. It is not asking whether they like it - it is handing them something to do and seeing what actually happens.

Leading questions

A question worded so it nudges you toward a particular answer - through a loaded word, a built-in assumption, or a scale that only points one way. It measures the wording, not the truth.

Card sorting

Card sorting is a research method where users group labelled cards into categories that feel natural to them. It shows how they mentally organise information - the raw material for an information architecture built on their logic, not yours.

A/B testing

A/B testing shows two versions of something to two random groups and compares a metric - clicks, sign-ups, sales - to see which performs better. Done right it settles design arguments with evidence; done hastily it manufactures false winners from noise.

Usability testing vs heuristic evaluation

Two ways to spot usability problems. Usability testing watches real people trying tasks to see what actually trips them up. Heuristic evaluation has experts review the interface against known principles. One shows what happens in reality; the other predicts it - and they uncover strikingly different issues.

Five-second test vs first-click test

Two fast, low-cost tests that answer different questions. The five-second test flashes a screen briefly and asks what people remember - does it communicate? The first-click test asks where they’d click to complete a task and observes - can they find the way? Impression versus action.

Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics

Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics are ten rules of thumb for spotting interface problems - keep users informed, speak their language, prevent errors, and so on. They are the checklist behind a heuristic evaluation, and the most widely used yardstick in usability.