Writing a moderated test script

Module 3 · Lesson 2 · Edited 14 minutes ago by Marin Okafor

Use this lesson to draft a script your team can run with real participants without rehearsing it twice. We cover framing the session, writing tasks that do not lead, and leaving room for the tangents that usually carry the insight.

Lesson outline

1. Set the frame. Explain what the participant is looking at, and what they are not being tested on.
2. Write neutral tasks. Describe the goal, never the button — 6 tasks is usually the ceiling for a 45-minute session.
3. Rehearse the pauses. Where to stay quiet, and the three prompts that reopen a stalled think-aloud.
4. Capture cleanly. Timestamp friction as it happens so the debrief does not become a second study.
5. Close the loop. Turn observations into a ranked list your designers can act on by Friday.