User research is a critical step in the process of developing new products and launching new marketing campaigns. UX research offers huge benefits: from understanding customers and their needs, to developing frictionless experiences. However, often user research is too focused only on “can users do it?” and not focused on “do they want to do it?”
We all know of cases where passionate users will overcome a poor experience to get what they want, or, conversely, of great experiences that don’t necessarily motivate users/visitors to engage. The key to improving the business impact of a new product or campaign is to maximize both the usability and engagement. User research needs to incorporate both behavioral and attitudinal research in order to accomplish this - and to do it easily and reliably.
Usability testing is necessary but not sufficient. Just because an experience is usable, doesn’t mean the user will engage, or buy, or be delighted by their experience. While usability testing tells us that a user CAN (or cannot) do a task, or complete the experience, attitudinal testing can tell us if they “LIKE” it. Doing both is necessary to gain confidence that the experience or product is both usable and engaging.
Further, to get attitudinal research right, it is critical to use methods which elicit the most authentic response - which is often difficult in most research situations. Panelists are always ‘primed’ to some degree, and customers being interviewed often want to please their vendors.
Relying on 5-8 interviewees, using traditional interview or video based methods can lead to highly biased and non-impactful results.
So, why do so few researchers do so many usability tests and so few user experience tests? And, even if they do run user experience tests, why settle for just a few interviews - which fail to provide statistically significant, reliable results to their stakeholders?
In the past, several factors have contributed to this disconnect: Tests that provide statistical significance, and “proof” are difficult, time consuming and expensive to run: Quantitative tests (whether survey or A/B tests) provide proof but not the why. Qualitative tests, while providing insight and “color” are anecdotal (unless you run them with a statistically significant N - which is time prohibitive - both for running the test, and then for analyzing and synthesizing results.
While finding out if a user can accomplish the experience - may work at 5-8 interviews; understanding how usersfeel about their experience and whether or not they want to use your product -that needs a higher N and different test.
The gains that a team can reap by combining attitudinal and behavioral testing are great - and can significantly improve product and campaign performance.
- Understanding of holistic user experience: Usability testing provides insights into whether users can accomplish tasks effectively, efficiently, and without frustration. It focuses on the functional aspects of a product or experience. On the other hand, attitudinal testing delves into users' emotions, motivations, and preferences, providing a deeper understanding of their subjective experiences and overall satisfaction.
- Identifying barriers to adoption: Usability testing alone may validate that users can complete tasks, but it does not shed light on whether they actually want to use the product or engage with the experience. Attitudinal testing helps identify potential barriers to adoption, such as negative emotions, lack of motivation, or mismatched expectations. This information is invaluable in optimizing the user experience and increasing user engagement.
- Identifying user preferences: Usability testing informs you about users' capabilities, while attitudinal testing uncovers their intentions and preferences. Comparing different designs or creatives can help product and marketing teams make better informed decisions. Understanding both the "can" and "want" aspects of user behavior helps you create experiences that align with user expectations and desires.
- Providing confidence to stakeholders: Incorporating attitudinal testing alongside usability testing at scale allows you to derisk designs and concepts - and be more confident about decisions (confidence = faster decisions).
Usability testing and attitudinal testing are both essential components of user research. By combining both methodologies, you gain a comprehensive understanding of the user experience, ensuring that it meets both functional and emotional needs.
Evaluative tests that measure both ifnusers “can” do it and if they “LIKE” it can be the very thing that both connects user research to business outcomes, and gives user researchers their place at the executive level.
