Research
Cognitive Walkthrough
Cognitive walkthroughs pinpoint learnability issues in designs. You walk through tasks step-by-step. At each step, ask: "Would a new user know what to do?" This reveals problems before user testing.
Duration
2 hours
Group Size
2-4
Category
Research
Difficulty
Easy
Participants will:
- Systematically evaluate interface learnability.
- Rigorously apply cognitive walkthrough methodology.
- Identify points where new users struggle.
- Document issues with clear diagnostic information.
- Generate actionable recommendations for improvement.
Participants will:
- Identify learnability issues for first-time users.
- Create step-by-step documentation of user struggles.
- Develop actionable improvements for onboarding.
- Reduce user frustration.
Consider these points:
The Four Questions:
- Think like a first-time user. Resist using expert knowledge.
- Be rigorous with each question at each step.
- Don't assume users read instructions. Even if they should.
- Consider error recovery, not just the ideal path.
The Four Questions:
- Will the user try to achieve the right effect?
- Will the user notice the correct action is available?
- Will the user associate the action with the effect?
- If the correct action is performed, will the user see progress?
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