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Cognitive Walkthrough

Step-by-step evaluation of a task flow from a user's perspective to identify usability issues.

Research Classification

Research Type

Attitudinal Behavioral

Behavioral: Focuses on what people do: their actual behaviors and actions.

Data Type

Qualitative Quantitative

Qualitative: Collects non-numerical data like observations, interviews, and open-ended responses.

Requirements

Budget

low

Minimal resources required

Timeline

short

1-2 weeks

Team Size

single

Can be conducted by one person

Research Goals

evaluation usability

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Focuses on user goals and tasks
  • No user recruitment needed
  • Identifies learnability issues
  • Can be done early in development

Cons

  • × Limited to predefined tasks
  • × Doesn't involve actual users
  • × May miss unexpected usage patterns
  • × Requires understanding of user mental models

Use Cases

Example Scenario

Evaluating how a new user would complete a registration process by analyzing each step from their perspective.

Additional Applications

  • First-time user experience
  • Task completion analysis
  • Learnability assessment