How can you use think-aloud protocol to get user feedback and insights?

1 What is think-aloud protocol?

Think-aloud protocol is based on the idea that thinking aloud can reveal the cognitive processes behind user behavior. By asking users to speak their mind while using a product or service, you can gain insights into their goals, expectations, difficulties, and satisfaction. Think-aloud protocol can be applied to any type of product or service, such as websites, apps, games, devices, or physical objects.

2 Why use think-aloud protocol?

Think-aloud protocol can help you answer questions such as how users perceive and understand your product or service, what the main tasks and scenarios are that users want to accomplish, how easy or difficult it is for them to navigate and use your product or service, what the pain points and frustrations are that users encounter, and what the positive and negative emotions are that they experience. It can also assist in validating your assumptions, hypotheses, and design decisions by comparing them with user feedback and insights. Ultimately, think-aloud protocol can help you improve your product or service to meet user needs and preferences.

3 How to prepare for think-aloud protocol?

Prior to conducting a think-aloud session, you must prepare several elements to ensure the success of the session. This includes establishing a research goal and question that you want to answer, gathering a representative sample of users that match your target audience and persona criteria, providing a realistic and functional prototype or version of your product or service that users can interact with, creating a set of tasks or scenarios related to your research goal and question, setting up a comfortable and quiet environment with no distractions or interruptions, and having a recording device or software that can capture user audio and video, as well as screen activity if applicable.

4 How to conduct think-aloud protocol?

During a think-aloud session, you need to introduce yourself and the purpose of the session to the user. Explain that you are testing the product or service, not the user, and that there are no right or wrong answers. Ask for their consent to record the session and assure them of confidentiality and anonymity. Instruct them to think aloud as much as possible while using the product or service. Tell them to say whatever comes to their mind, such as what they expect, what they like, what they dislike, what they are confused by, etc. Give the user the first task or scenario and ask them to start using the product or service. Observe and listen without interfering or influencing them. Take notes of any interesting comments, reactions, or behaviors. Repeat this process for each task or scenario until complete. Thank the user for their participation and ask if they have any questions or feedback. If possible, offer a reward or incentive for their time and effort.

5 How to analyze think-aloud protocol?

After conducting a think-aloud session, you need to analyze the data and extract the user feedback and insights. To do this, you can transcribe the user's verbal comments and match them with the corresponding audio and video clips to identify key points and themes. Additionally, you can code and categorize the user's comments and behaviors according to different dimensions, such as usability, functionality, aesthetics, emotion, satisfaction, etc. to quantify and compare the user's opinions and experiences. Finally, create a summary or report that highlights the main findings and insights from the think-aloud session. Be sure to include the user's quotes, screenshots, or video clips to illustrate and support your points as well as provide recommendations and suggestions for improving your product or service based on the user feedback and insights.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?