Article · ~9 min read

Turn User Goals into Task Scenarios for Usability Testing

Marieke McCloskey · Nielsen Norman Group Free Intermediate

The quality of your test depends entirely on the tasks you give. This piece shows how to write realistic scenarios that do not accidentally hand users the answer or hint at the click you want. Get this right and your test reveals genuine confusion, get it wrong and you only confirm what you hoped.

  • Frame tasks as real goals, not instructions with the steps baked in
  • Avoid words from your own interface inside the task wording
  • A good task has a clear end state you can observe
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The question it answers

  1. How do I know if my product is confusing to users?

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