A UX evaluation is a process of assessing how users experience a game, and identifying any issues or opportunities for improvement. It can help you create more engaging, accessible, and enjoyable games for your target audience. But how do you conduct a UX evaluation effectively? Here are some of the best techniques you can use to evaluate your game's UX.
Before you start evaluating your game's UX, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. What are the main objectives of your game? Who are your intended users? What are the key features and functions of your game? How do you want users to feel and behave while playing your game? These questions will help you define your goals and metrics for your UX evaluation. You can use different types of metrics, such as usability, engagement, satisfaction, retention, and monetization, depending on your game's genre and purpose.
It's important to focus on the players, that will be part of the test, before diving into complicated metrics. ? Let users/players feel comfortable to avoid biases, projecting their bad experience with being watched or anxious when making mistakes in the game. The best is to choose the method that minimizes the feeling of being watched and prepares a comfortable space. ? Prepare fun scenarios around assumptions, to target the weak spots, letting players roam freely, won't achieve consistent data. The best is to prepare a custom scenario with specific tasks/quests but with multiple solutions to the problem. ? Find your target audience, it's a crucial step, don't be afraid to test multiple audiences, but don't forget who your customer is.
"Defining your goals and metrics" in a UX evaluation of a game enables a much more focused assessment, measurable outcomes, alignment with objectives, and informed decision-making. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wisely stated, 'A goal without a plan is just a wish.'"
One thing I've found helpful is to following the two second rule. If most players cannot find something on screen within two seconds of searching for it, the first time they search for it, you have an unintuitive UX that needs to be redesigned.
Conducting a UX evaluation of your game requires utilizing a combination of methods and tools. User testing involves observing and interviewing real users as they play your game, either in person or remotely. Surveys and questionnaires are forms of self-reporting that allow you to collect data from a large number of users. Analytics and telemetry track and analyze user behavior and performance data. All of these methods can help you discover usability problems, user preferences, user expectations, satisfaction, attitudes, opinions, preferences, motivations, engagement, retention, monetization, and progression. Additionally, various platforms and software can be used to facilitate the UX evaluation process, such as online testing services, survey tools, analytics platforms, and UX frameworks.
Once you have chosen your methods and tools, you need to plan and execute your UX evaluation. This involves deciding on the scope, timing, frequency, and duration of your evaluation, as well as selecting and recruiting your participants, preparing your materials and instructions, conducting your sessions and surveys, and collecting and storing your data. You should also consider the ethical and legal aspects of your UX evaluation, such as obtaining consent, protecting privacy, and complying with regulations.
After you have completed your UX evaluation, you need to analyze and interpret your data. This involves organizing, filtering, coding, and categorizing your data, as well as applying statistical and analytical techniques to identify patterns, trends, correlations, and outliers. You should also use various methods of visualization, such as graphs, charts, tables, and heatmaps, to present and communicate your data effectively. You should also compare your data with your goals and metrics, and draw conclusions and insights from your data.
I suggest you to proceed as follows: 1. Define the scope and objectives of the data analysis, and how you will measure its success. 2. Break down the data into manageable chunks and assign them to the appropriate methods and tools. 3. Communicate frequently and transparently with your team and other stakeholders about the data analysis. 4. Test and iterate the data analysis as you perform it, and compare the results with your predefined criteria. 5. Review and evaluate the data analysis after it is performed, and measure its impact and outcomes. 6. Learn from the experience and document the lessons learned.
The final step of your UX evaluation is to report and communicate your findings. This involves creating a report that summarizes your goals, methods, data, analysis, and results, as well as providing recommendations and suggestions for improving your game's UX. You should also communicate your findings to your stakeholders, such as your team, your clients, your users, or your investors, using appropriate formats and channels, such as presentations, videos, blogs, or social media. You should also solicit feedback and comments from your stakeholders, and use them to refine and validate your findings.
The ultimate goal of your UX evaluation is to iterate and improve your game. This involves using your findings and recommendations to make changes and updates to your game design, features, functions, content, and interface. You should also test and evaluate the impact of your changes on your game's UX, and measure the outcomes and benefits of your improvements. You should also repeat the UX evaluation process as needed, until you achieve your desired level of UX quality and user satisfaction.
There are many ways to evaluate the overall UX of a game, the most efficient and practical ones are: - Playtesting: Conduct play testing sessions with different age groups and note down your key findings. - Usability Testing: Once done with play testing sessions, create user personas and make necessary changes and improvements. - A/B Testing: After completing above two steps, come up with two or three variants. Test them accordingly, data is your best friend. Rely on quantitative analysis.