Motivation
Human Experience (HX) Testing is all about understanding the end-to-end user journey and evaluating physical, digital, and emotional touchpoints. This guide will help you write clear, actionable, and impactful HX feedback, while explaining how it differs from regular UX feedback.
HX Feedback vs. UX Feedback: Key Differences
HX feedback takes a holistic approach, evaluating physical, digital, and emotional aspects of the user experience. Unlike UX feedback, which primarily focuses on the usability of digital interfaces, HX feedback dives deeper into real-world interactions, emotional responses, and physical touchpoints.
Paradigm Shift: Embrace Critical Feedback
In HX testing, negative or critical feedback is far more valuable than positive feedback. While positive comments can affirm what’s working, they don’t help identify areas for improvement. Customers need testers to highlight pain points, frustrations, and barriers to ensure their product delivers a seamless experience.
Key Principles for Writing Effective HX Feedback
1. Be Specific
Avoid vague or general statements. Your feedback should be detailed and actionable. Provide examples, describe the issue clearly, and explain its impact on the user experience.
Bad Example: "The app is slow."
Good Example: "The app took 12 seconds to load the homepage after clicking the icon. This delay made me question whether it was functioning properly."
2. Focus on Critical Thinking
HX testing requires you to think critically and be conscious of your own perceptions during the test. Pay attention to any internal reactions or thoughts you have while interacting with the product. These insights are invaluable.
Example: "While navigating the website, I noticed I had to scroll through multiple sections to find the menu. This felt frustrating and inefficient compared to other e-commerce platforms."
3. Include Emotional Responses
HX feedback should capture how the product makes you feel during interactions. Were you frustrated, confused, delighted, or indifferent? Emotional feedback helps identify areas that impact user satisfaction.
Bad Example: "The checkout process was okay."
Good Example: "I felt frustrated during the checkout process because the payment confirmation screen took 15 seconds to load, leaving me unsure if my payment was successful."
4. Avoid General Statements
General statements like "It works fine" or "Good experience" don’t provide actionable insights. Instead, describe specific issues or positive details that can guide improvements.
Bad Example: "The app is user-friendly."
Good Example: "The app’s navigation bar is intuitive, allowing me to quickly access product categories. However, the search function returned irrelevant results for common queries like 'shoes.'"
5. Remember: Your Feedback is Anonymous
Testers are not judged by their feedback, and their comments remain anonymous to the customer. You can be open and speak your mind without worrying about repercussions.
Examples of Good vs Bad HX Feedback
Question | Good example | Bad example |
What do you think about product packaging? | The product packaging was visually appealing and easy to open, but the instructions inside were unclear. I had to search online for setup guidance, which delayed the process by 10 minutes. | "The product is good overall."
Why it’s bad: This statement is vague and doesn’t highlight any specific issues or areas for improvement. |
How did you feel during the checkout process? | The checkout process felt confusing because there was no clear summary of my order before payment. I was worried I might be missing an item or getting charged incorrectly. | "It worked."
Why it’s bad: Does not answer the emotional aspect of the question, lacks details about the experience itself |
What do you think about the product's strap? | The wearable device felt uncomfortable after 30 minutes of use due to its rigid strap. I suggest using a softer material for better comfort during extended wear. | "I didn’t like the product."
Why it’s bad: This feedback is subjective and doesn’t explain the reason for dissatisfaction. |
Please describe your experience with the device | The device felt solid and well-built in my hands, which gave me confidence in its quality. However, the setup process took around 15 minutes due to unclear on-screen instructions, which left me feeling slightly overwhelmed at first. | "It works fine."
Why it’s bad: The answer is too general, there is no emotional or contextual information, and it does not help to improve anything. |
What additional benefits would you motivate to upgrade the plan (besides lowering the costs) | I’d be more motivated to upgrade if the plan included the ability to share access with family members and set usage limits for each profile. I often manage subscriptions for my kids, and this would help me feel more in control and safer about what they access. | "If it had more stuff."
Why it’s bad: The "more stuff" is meaningless, no explanation of value or context. |
What did you like most about your in-store experience | The store associate was very helpful and didn’t pressure me into buying. I appreciated the relaxed atmosphere, which made me feel more comfortable exploring options on my own. | "It was good."
Why it’s bad: No details, does not say what was specifically good, useless for making improvements. |
Do you have any additional comments or observations | The music in the store was quite loud near the checkout area, which made it hard to hear the staff and felt a bit overwhelming while waiting in line. A slightly lower volume could make the space feel more comfortable and relaxed. | "Nope, all good."
Why it’s bad: Misses the opportunity to share a real insight, does not follow the Human Experience guidance to think critically. |
How to Structure HX Feedback
Use the following structure to organize your feedback effectively:
Describe the Issue: Clearly explain what happened and where it occurred.
Example: "During the checkout process, the payment confirmation screen took 15 seconds to load."
Explain the Impact: Highlight how the issue affected the user experience.
Example: "This delay made me feel unsure whether my payment was successful, which caused frustration."
Provide Evidence: Attach screenshots, videos, or other artifacts to support your feedback.
Example: "Attached is a screenshot of the loading screen during checkout."
Offer Suggestions: Suggest ways to resolve the issue or improve the experience.
Example: "Consider optimizing the payment confirmation screen to load faster."