Interview frequency: …
Short answer
It asks users to say aloud their thoughts, feelings, and expectations as they perform specific tasks on a prototype.
Explanation
Think-Aloud is an effective protocol for revealing users' mental models and understanding where and why they get stuck. It exposes the gap between what a user expects and what they see in the interface. The researcher observes and gently encourages the user if they fall silent with neutral phrases such as "What are you thinking right now?" without guiding them to a solution or the next button.
Common mistakes
- Helping the user or telling them which button to press when they are confused, which invalidates the test results.
- Interrupting the user's flow of thought with repeated questions, distracting them from the main task.