Subjective testing

Subjective testing differ from usability tests in several respects:

• Subjective testing takes the form of focus groups, which are led by a moderator who encourages 8 to 10 participants to discuss a product that they have tested
• Participants provide very personal assessments of the product tests, including the visual appearance, branding, needs, expectations, motivations, emotions, irritants, etc.

Subjective testing supplement usability tests, and can be conducted at all stages of product design, and ideally at the start of the design cycle, in order to define needs and expectations. At the visual design stage, these tests serve to validate conformity with the mental model and with expectations.