Video · ~5 min

Help Users Think Aloud

Nielsen Norman Group Free Beginner

A short video showing exactly what neutral prompting sounds like when a participant goes quiet mid-task. Watching the actual tone and phrasing is more useful than reading about it, since the hardest part of staying neutral is usually how you say the reminder, not what you say.

  • Prompt with something as plain as 'what are you thinking right now.'
  • Silence from the user is fine. Resist the urge to fill it.
  • Reminders to think aloud should be neutral, never a hint about what to look at.
Open on nngroup.com ↗

The question it answers

  1. How do I show a prototype to users without biasing their reaction?

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