Workflow: Test A has the following workflow:
Junior edits article ⟶ senior visits Junior's empty user talk to share guidance ⟶ Junior gets notified.
Tester: Junior Contributor Robin
Page: Sparse User Talk Page Robin

This script tests for:

• Notification workflow
• Replying to a discussion
• @- Mentioning
• Formatting
• Linking
• Posting
• Being able to identify their post in context after posting

Test Log

Link (access required)

Findings

Recognizing page as interactive space for dialog

• Average amount of time to correctly recognize that this page is some sort of message board is 10 seconds for desktop and 8.6 seconds for mobile testers.

“It's a pretty standard "no frills" messaging layout.” - UT 4

Finding initial notification
✅5 of 5 desktop users were able to follow a notification
✅4 of 5 mobile users were able to follow a notification
🗒️ Several testers found the initial notification through the notification center, while others searched for the message manually.
⚠️ it's extremely difficult for mobile contributors to tell what the page is for without the dropdown being expanded for at least one conversation

Replying to discussion
✅5 of 5 desktop testers successfully replied to a discussion
✅4 of 5 mobile testers successfully replied to a discussion

@mentioning users who commented on page
✅5 of 5 desktop testers successfully @- Mentioned users who had already commented on the page
✅5 of 5 mobile testers successfully @- Mentioned users who had already commented on the page
⚠️the dialog box for @messaging seems to get cut off the screen on both desktop and mobile.

@mentioning users who did not previously comment on the page
✅5 of 5 desktop testers successfully @- Mentioned users who had not previously commented on the page
⚠️3 of 5 mobile testers successfully @- Mentioned users who had not previously commented on the page
⚠️It was not obvious to many testers that they could search for users using the @mention feature

Formatting text
✅5 of 5 desktop testers successfully formatted text
✅5 of 5 mobile testers successfully formatted text

Linking text
✅5 of 5 desktop testers successfully linked to an article from text within a reply
✅4 of 5 mobile testers successfully linked to an article from text within a reply
⚠️Mobile testers struggled a bit with this task.

Identified post in context after posting it
✅5 of 5 desktop testers successfully identified their post in context after posting
✅5 of 5 mobile testers successfully identified their post in context after posting

Miscellaneous observations and/or comments

• The design feels outdated:

“The layout can use more work. Make it a little more visually pleasing and obvious who posted what message and when.” UT-2
“For a person who is not an advanced user, it probably would be a bit hard." UT-3
"it's a pretty standard OLD school bbs old school email format page" UT- 4

• The experience is obvious:

"It's all very intuitive. I don't have to think twice about anything I'm doing." UT-6

• Some unexpected layout:

"There is one thing that is kinda of unusual which is the placement of the poster of the message, the date and the time because it is inline with the message. Meaning there's the text of the message, and the poster and the message are all in line. It might make sense if the poster and the timestamp were after, underneath the message somehow. Indicating that it's part of the same thing but not part of the typed message." UT-8

• Icons

One tester expected to be able to press the "comment" icon and be taken to the comments UT-10

• Requested features:

One tester said that "it would be efficient" to add an undo button for mobile. UT- 10

Done

• Tests Up and Running on usertesting.com
• Test reviewed and logged
• High level findings are synthesized.
• If applicable, bugs are filed.