A bad question gives a bad answer
Which question is better?
A: "Don't you agree that our wonderful new app is easy to use?"
B: "How easy was it to find your timetable? Choose 1 (very hard) to 5 (very easy)."
A pushes the user to say yes. B gives an honest number. This lesson is about asking good questions.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Survey | A set of questions that many people answer. | an online form |
| Closed question | A question with fixed answers to choose from. | Yes or No; 1 to 5 |
| Open question | A question where people write their own answer. | "What would you change?" |
| Rating scale | A row of numbers from low to high that a person picks from. | 1 (very hard) to 5 (very easy) |
| Leading question | A question that pushes people to give a certain answer. | "Don't you love it?" |
| Sample | The small group of people you ask, chosen to be like everyone. | 30 students from all year groups |
| Interview | A planned conversation with one person. | ten minutes with a teacher |
| Focus group | A small group of users who talk about a product together. | six students and a leader |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Closed and open questions
| Type | Example | Good for | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed: yes or no | Did you find the timetable? Yes or No | Easy to count | No detail |
| Closed: rating scale | How easy was it? 1 to 5 | Numbers you can average | Does not say why |
| Closed: choose from a list | Which screen do you use most? | Easy to count | The list may miss something |
| Open | What is the one thing you would change? | Gives reasons and new ideas | Slow to read and sort |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Is it a good question?
Have a go
Is it a good question?
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Who do you ask?
Ask the right people. This is your sample.
If the app is for all students, ask some from every year group. Ask some who like it and some who do not. If you only ask your friends, you will only hear nice words.
A focus group needs the same care. Pick six to eight people who look like all your users.
An interview guide
| Part | What you do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Say hello, explain the purpose, ask permission to take notes | "I am testing a college app. Can I take notes?" |
| Warm up | Easy first question | "How do you use the app on a normal day?" |
| Main questions | Open questions, one at a time | "Tell me about the last time you got stuck." |
| Follow up | Ask why | "What did you try next?" |
| Close | Thank them, ask if they want to add anything | "Is there anything I did not ask?" |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Listen more than you talk
data-callouts.tip.label
In an interview or a focus group, ask, then stay quiet. Do not fill the silence. Do not argue. Do not defend your design. Write down the words people really use.