Understanding the User Experience

Here is a usability testing strategy that I bet few of you have tried. Have someone who doesn’t speak the language observe the user. It’s amazing what you will learn when you have to focus 100% on body language and tone because you can’t be distracted by what the user is saying. We all have experienced the principle that users often can’t articulate what they are thinking and often are downright wrong. The reasons for this are fascinating and worthy of a different blog post. But given that it is true, having at least one observer who can’t listen to the words, even if he/she wants to, is very insightful.