8 Tips for Conducting Cognitive Walkthroughs to Improve Product Usability

Are you designing a new product or feature? Want to make sure it‘s intuitive and easy to use? One powerful method is to conduct a cognitive walkthrough.

In this in-depth guide, we‘ll explain exactly what a cognitive walkthrough is, how it works, and its key benefits. Then we‘ll share 8 actionable tips (with examples) for running effective cognitive walkthroughs to identify UX issues and improve product usability. Let‘s dive in!

What is a Cognitive Walkthrough?

A cognitive walkthrough is a step-by-step evaluation method used to identify usability issues in a product or interface. It involves guiding users through key tasks and observing their thought process to see where they struggle or get confused.

The goal is to assess the product‘s "learnability" for new users. Can people figure out how to complete core tasks with little to no guidance? The cognitive walkthrough helps uncover obstacles that get in the way of users adopting your product.

Here‘s how the process typically works:

  1. Identify specific user tasks to evaluate (e.g. sign up, search for item, etc.)
  2. Break each task down into the steps/actions a user would take
  3. Have participants walk through the tasks, "thinking aloud" as they go
  4. Observe to see if users can determine the correct actions
  5. Note where users hesitate, make mistakes or verbalize confusion
  6. After the tasks, gather subjective feedback on the overall experience

By going through this process from the user‘s perspective, you can flag areas where the current design fails to support the user‘s goals and mental models.

Benefits of Conducting a Cognitive Walkthrough

Why go through this time-intensive process? Here are some of the key benefits of cognitive walkthroughs:

  1. Identify issues early. Walkthroughs can be done at any stage, from sketches to hi-fi prototypes to live products. Testing early helps catch issues before they‘re coded.

  2. Get objective user feedback. It‘s easy to get attached to your designs. Walkthroughs provide a reality check and show how real people interact with your product.

  3. Generate new ideas. Observing users exposes new opportunities to improve flows, add helpful content, simplify designs, etc.

  4. Encourage empathy. There‘s no substitute for seeing people struggle with your design. Walkthroughs build empathy and motivation to improve UX.

  5. Benchmark usability. Doing consistent walkthroughs lets you measure progress and the impact of your design changes.

In fact, one case study found that incorporating walkthroughs into the design process:

  • Reduced post-release support calls by 30%
  • Increased customer satisfaction by 25%
  • Saved $500,000 in development costs by catching issues early

Cognitive Walkthrough vs Other UX Research Methods

Cognitive walkthroughs are one of many UX research techniques you can employ. Here‘s how they compare to a few other common methods:

Method Definition Best For
Cognitive Walkthrough Guided evaluation of learnability & usability issues Catching interaction problems & confusing designs
User Testing Observing users completing tasks in the interface Evaluating the overall UX of designs or prototypes
Heuristic Evaluation Expert-based evaluation using UX best practice criteria Quickly flagging obvious usability issues & compliance
Surveys Self-reported feedback from a sample of users Gathering attitudinal insights at scale
Interviews 1:1 sessions to deeply understand user needs, behaviors Exploring user mental models, motivations, pain points

One key distinction of cognitive walkthroughs is their focus on figuring out usability issues in the absence of prior knowledge or guidance. They help pinpoint moments of confusion or frustration that block new users.

That said, walkthroughs work best in combination with other methods. Starting with walkthroughs to identify issues, then running user tests to validate and gather qual feedback is a powerful duo.

Now, let‘s look at 8 tips to run an effective cognitive walkthrough.

8 Tips for Better Cognitive Walkthroughs

Follow these tips to plan, execute and analyze cognitive walkthroughs to get the UX insights you need.

1. Establish clear goals

Begin with the end in mind. What specific user flows or interactions do you need to evaluate? Are you testing discoverability, ease of use, efficiency?

Align with stakeholders on the key questions the walkthrough should answer. Then let those inform the tasks you create.

For example, if you want to assess the learnability of your app‘s core features, your task list might look like:

  • Sign up for an account
  • Search for a product
  • Filter search results
  • Add an item to the cart
  • Check out as a guest

2. Choose the right participants

Like any user research, who you test with matters. Aim for 5-10 participants per round who resemble your actual users.

Consider factors like:

  • Demographics (age, gender, location)
  • Familiarity with the product or similar tools
  • Tech savviness
  • Domain knowledge related to the product

For example, say you‘re testing a new investing app. You‘d want a mix of people across age ranges, with varying levels of financial expertise, from beginner to advanced.

If you don‘t have access to "real" users, proxies like employees outside the product team or people in your network who match the criteria can work.

3. Create realistic task scenarios

Craft scenarios that reflect how people actually use your product. Frame them in terms of user goals, not granular steps.

A scenario should set the stage and give context, but avoid giving away the exact steps to take. You want to see if people can figure it out themselves.

Use this handy template:

You are a [type of user] trying to [achieve a goal]. Using this [product/prototype/feature], complete the following:

[Task 1]
[Task 2]
[Task 3]
etc…

For our investing app walkthrough, a scenario might look like:

You‘re a new investor looking to build a starter portfolio. Using the app, complete the following:

1. Create an account
2. Set up your risk profile
3. Browse suggested portfolio options
4. Choose a portfolio to invest in

4. Ask participants to think aloud

During the walkthrough, have participants vocalize their thoughts as they attempt each task.

Prompt them with questions like:

  • What are you thinking as you look at this screen?
  • What would you do first? Why?
  • What do you expect to happen if you click that?

Thinking aloud gives you a window into the user‘s mental model – how they perceive the product, what they expect, and why they make the choices they do.

5. Observe and take detailed notes

As users go through the tasks, observe carefully. Take notes on:

  • Each action they take (clicks, taps, hovers, scrolls)
  • Moments of hesitation or confusion
  • Incorrect paths or mistakes
  • Quotes that indicate what they‘re thinking
  • Facial expressions & body language

These observations become the data you‘ll analyze later to identify issues and opportunities. Tools like session recording software can help document the walkthrough.

6. Analyze results to identify UX issues

Comb through your observation notes and look for patterns. Where did multiple users get stuck, confused or frustrated?

Tally up key metrics like:

  • Number of users who clicked the wrong thing first
  • Time spent figuring out the correct action
  • % of users who failed the task

Use color-coding, affinity mapping or a rainbow spreadsheet to visualize the results.

For example, our investing app team might discover:

  • 6/10 people couldn‘t find the "risk profile" step
  • 0/10 used the "compare portfolios" table
  • Avg. time to create account: 3.5 mins (goal was 2 mins)

These insights show where the UX breaks down and needs improvement.

7. Translate insights into design recommendations

With your analysis in hand, brainstorm solutions to the issues you uncovered.

Could clearer button labels resolve that confusion? Would a tooltip explain that new concept? Should you cut that unused feature?

Prioritize the improvements that will have the biggest impact on usability. Mock up the changes and re-test in another walkthrough to validate.

For our investing app, the team might decide to:

  • Add a "Set up your profile" CTA on the post-signup screen
  • Replace the portfolio table with a simpler comparison
  • Cut 2 fields from the account form to reduce creation time

8. Make cognitive walkthroughs a regular habit

One walkthrough is helpful – making it a recurring part of your design process is game-changing.

Test at each phase, from lo-fi concepts to final designs, to catch issues early. Track your results over time to quantify progress.

The more you observe real people using your designs, the more naturally you‘ll be able to spot and prevent issues.

To build the habit, set a regular cadence (e.g. monthly, quarterly). Block time on the calendar. Enlist others to participate.

Putting it Into Practice: A Cognitive Walkthrough Example

Let‘s see these tips in action with a real cognitive walkthrough example.

Say you‘re redesigning your ecomm checkout flow. You want to see if people can complete a purchase in the new design.

Step 1: Define your scenario & tasks

Scenario:
You‘re a new customer ready to make a purchase. Using this prototype, complete the following:

Tasks:

  1. Add a product to your cart
  2. Choose your shipping method
  3. Enter your delivery info
  4. Select a payment method
  5. Review your order
  6. Place the order

Step 2: Set up the walkthrough

  • Recruit 6 participants who resemble your target customer
  • Give them access to the clickable prototype
  • Meet 1:1 for a 30-min call

Step 3: Conduct the walkthrough sessions

  • Share the scenario and have them walk through the tasks
  • Ask what they‘d do first and why
  • Have them think aloud as they go
  • Note each action, quote, hesitation, and mistake
  • Prompt for feedback after each task and at the end

Step 4: Analyze the observations

Review your notes and tally key metrics:

  • Time on each screen
  • Verbal comments indicating confusion

Anonymized example data:

Observation # of Users
Failed to find promo code field 4
Clicked "edit cart" from checkout 5
Unsure which address fields required 3
Confused by "billing address" toggle 6

Step 5: Create design recommendations

Based on the insights, propose UX improvements:

  1. Move promo code field to order summary (vs. separate)
  2. Remove "edit cart" option from checkout
  3. Mark optional address fields
  4. Explain billing address toggle or remove

Step 6: Re-test & iterate

Make the changes in your design tool. Then run another walkthrough to validate the new version is an improvement.

Repeat the process until the core usability issues are resolved and the metrics improve.

Go Forth and Conduct Cognitive Walkthroughs!

You‘re now equipped with a powerful tool to evaluate and improve your product‘s UX.

Remember, the goal isn‘t to have a perfect product on the first try. It‘s to understand how real people perceive and interact with your design.

By getting in your users‘ shoes early and often, you‘ll be able to craft an intuitive, easy-to-use product that people love.

So start scheduling those walkthroughs! Your future users (and bottom line) will thank you.

Still have questions about cognitive walkthroughs? Drop me a line for personalized tips.

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