Dashboard usability test template
Observe whether people can use [dashboard] to answer a practical question and investigate a change.
Use this templateEditable study draft · English content
Before you launch
Use a dashboard with synthetic data. Define the metric, time period, and expected findings before testing.
Opens a usability study with ordered tasks, post-task questions, and a final debrief. Add your target URL to each task. Screen sharing is enabled and the moderator observes without providing task hints. Success criteria below are a guide for your review, not automatic grading rules.
Participant tasks
Task 1
Find a metric
Find [metric] for [time period] and tell us what it shows.
Researcher success criteria
Participant identifies the correct metric, period, and value.
Task 2
Investigate a change
You notice [change in metric]. Use this dashboard to explore what might explain it.
Researcher success criteria
Participant reaches the relevant breakdown and identifies supported observations.
Task 3
Share a finding
Prepare the view you would share with a colleague to explain what you found. Do not send it.
Researcher success criteria
Participant prepares a relevant view or export without sending it.
After each task, ask what was difficult and what the participant expected to happen. The study also includes a task-ease rating.
Final debrief
- What, if anything, was different from what you expected?
- Which part of the experience would you change first, and why?
Plan your study
Who should take part?
People who use reporting to make decisions about [workflow].
What should I customize before launching?
Use a dashboard with synthetic data. Define the metric, time period, and expected findings before testing.
How should I use the findings?
Separate navigation failures from misunderstandings of the data. Successful clicking does not establish correct interpretation.