Experience report: A test user takes you along for a test | TestingTime
Experience first-hand what it feels like to take part in a study as a TestingTime test user. Nora will guide you through her first test and show you everything as she experiences it. This will give you a good idea of what to expect when you take part in your first test with TestingTime.
1. Applying for the test
Hi everyone, I’m Nora. I’m 29 years old and live in Zurich, Switzerland. I have been registered as a test user with TestingTime for over half a year now. I have already participated in two surveys, but this will be my first time taking part in an on-site test. I am a tiny bit nervous to be completely honest! I don’t exactly know what to expect yet. But I am definitely looking forward to this new experience. After all, when does one get the chance to tell a company directly what one thinks about their product — and make a little money on the side at the same time? But let’s start from the beginning.
1.1 Test invitation via email
I received an email from TestingTime! The email contains an invitation to apply for a study as well as the time and place where the test will be held. It is an in-house study, in other words, a study being carried out on the company’s premises. The time and place work for me, the 55.00 CHF (around £50) compensation for the 45-minute participation sounds great. I click on “apply now” to find out whether I actually meet the test criteria. I’m excited. Finger crossed.
1.2 Questionnaire: Do I fit the profile?
The questionnaire asks me to answer questions concerning my consumption behaviour. I indicate, for example, how frequently I cook at home, how many ready-made meals I buy or where I usually shop for groceries. There are seven questions I need to answer in total. At the end of the questionnaire, I can select time slots on the day of the test during which I would be available. I need around three minutes to complete all questions.
1.3 It’s a match!
Good news: My profile is a match! I have been shortlisted and provisionally registered for the test. Now, all I have to do is wait until I receive a message with the final confirmation and information which time slot I have been assigned to.
1.4 Confirmation email and text
One day has passed since I completed the questionnaire. Just a moment ago, I received my definitive invitation to the study! The message summarises all the most important information once more, including directions. With a click on the green button, I confirm my participation. The test is going to be held in four days already — I’m excited!
2. On my way to the test
It’s here, the day of the test! On my way to the innovative company INNOArchitects, where the study will be held, I start feeling a little nervous. What exactly is in store for me? Which product will I test and what tasks will I be given? I’m hoping that I will be able to provide useful feedback that will be of help to the company.
Arriving at the INNOArchitects office, I am welcomed warmly. I sign a non-disclosure agreement in which I agree to treat the test information confidentially. Afterwards, I am treated to a coffee and asked to wait for a moment. I am told that there is nothing that I could do wrong during the test and that I should just think out loud and share my opinion honestly. This immediately calms my nerves :-).
3. It’s time: the test
I am invited to a large, bright room. There are four people present, they welcome me nicely. Three people are seated to my left; they are silent observers and take notes during the test. A fourth person stands to my right; she guides me through the test and asks me questions. Soon, I am so deeply immersed in the test that I forget that the observers are even there.
I smile when I see the product that I will be testing: It’s a meal kit! In other words, a carefully prepared box with a recipe and all the ingredients needed for it. I am super excited, because I love trying new foods and recipes.
The moderator gives me two tasks. First, I am shown two versions of an advertising poster for the meal kit and I get to describe which one appeals to me more and for what reason. Then, I get to take a closer look at a sample kit. Curiously, I unpack the box, inspect the recipe card and the ingredients. While doing so, I say out loud what goes through my mind: what I like and what bothers me, what questions I have. I am also shown different packaging types and explain which one I like the most.
At the end, the three observers ask me a few more questions about my general impression of the product.
Before I realise it, the test is already over. Time really flew by! I leave the room with a very positive feeling. The moderator and observers gave me the impression that they really care about my feedback.
4. My thoughts after the test
The test was a great experience and definitely not my last study with TestingTime. What I liked the most was that I was able to give my opinion about a product — that isn’t even available in shops yet — directly to the company in question. Especially, because it is a product that I could imagine actually buying myself. Now, I am very excited to find the box on shop shelves and to see which design the client opted for. The 55.00 CHF (around £50) that I earned along the way is the cherry on top.
5. Payment time!
One and a half weeks have passed since my moment in the spotlight. Shortly after the test, I received an email from TestingTime asking me to submit my bank details, which I did right away. Now I just took a look at my bank account and happily realised that the 55.00 CHF transfer from TestingTime had already arrived. Thanks, TestingTime team! I am already looking forward to participating in another test.
6. Background information on the test
The goal of this test was to test a physical product with the target group prior to its market launch. The identity of the company behind the product is confidential and will remain a secret. This is why a non-disclosure agreement had to be signed prior to partaking in the test.
The TestingTime user tests are highly versatile. During your first test, you may test a physical product, but you may just as well test a website or an app or take part in a focus group and discuss a new product idea.
Next to on-site studies, many tests can also be conducted from home using video conferencing tools (e.g. Skype, Lookback, Zoom).
7. View the TestingTime experience report as a video
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https://www.testingtime.com/en/become-a-paid-testuser/
Originally published at https://www.testingtime.com on September 3, 2020.
