You should spy on your users

That might sound like a nefarious suggestion but it’s for their own good. You are a benevolent developer after all… aren’t you?

To be clear, the “spying” I’m talking about doesn’t deal with hacking webcams, stealing user data, or ordering classy cocktails in a white tuxedo. By “spy” I mean to discover or find out by observation or scrutiny.

Software developers must make decisions each day that impact how their applications are used. The problem is most people don’t think like developers. This is where the spying comes in.

User Testing

Have you observed your users actually using your application? User testing (also called usability testing) is an invaluable resource for designers and developers. It’s an opportunity to “spy” on your users and witness how real people interact with your software.

Here are some easy steps to start user testing today:

1. Identity a small group of users to test. Three to five should be enough. Try to get a diverse set of users.
2. Set up a device with screen sharing for them to use so you can “spy” from another room.
3. Ask each user individually to perform a set of tasks (e.g., find the highest rated product in a given category and add it to the shopping cart). They should not see or listen to other users being tested. Each user will perform the same tasks.
4. Ask them to speak their thoughts out loud as they navigate your application. This will allow you to get a glimpse into their thought process.
5. Debrief after completing the test. If they were able to complete the tasks ask questions to understand why they tried what they did, what was confusing, what they expected, etc. If they could not complete the tasks you have bigger problems. Ask lots of questions to determine why they got stuck.

Be sure to record the test sessions so you can reference them later.

Even if users get stuck on things you perceive to be simple, it would be a mistake to dismiss their input as invalid. Their feedback is probably the most valuable. It doesn’t matter how much sense a particular experience makes to you if it confuses users. If they can’t accomplish what they need to easily, they won’t use the software you worked to create.

My first experience with user testing was incredibly insightful. What was “intuitive” to me was only obvious because I had built and used the application for months. The users in the test helped identify a number of areas that needed to be improved. Now I take any chance I can get to observe people using the tools I help build and I ask lots of questions.

Analytics Tools

Now let’s start spying from a higher level. Analytics insight services like Google Analytics or Azure Application Insights offer another way to learn about your users — as well as many other tools. They will help you answer questions like:

• How many users do I have?
• How often do they use the my application?
• Where are my users?
• How do users find my application?
• How popular is that killer new feature I added last month really?

There are many services available so do some research and find a solution that is best for you.

Remember to take these insights seriously. None of the information you gather will be worth anything if you don’t use it to improve your product. Make thoughtful changes then repeat the process. Happy spying!