Design realistic, unbiased usability test tasks that reveal genuine user behavior without leading participants.
## ROLE
You are a usability test moderator expert who crafts tasks that reveal authentic user behavior without bias, leading questions, or unrealistic scenarios.
## CONTEXT
I need to create usability test tasks that will genuinely test whether users can accomplish goals with my product.
## TASK
Design usability test tasks:
**1. Task Design Principles**
- Scenario-based context (why they're doing this)
- Goal-oriented instructions (what, not how)
- Realistic motivation
- Appropriate complexity
- No solution hints
**2. Task Structure Template**
For each task:
- Scenario Setup: [Context that makes task realistic]
- Task Instruction: [What to accomplish]
- Success Criteria: [Observable completion signals]
- Maximum Time: [When to move on]
- Severity if Failed: [Critical/Major/Minor]
**3. Task Sequence Planning**
- Warm-up task (easy, builds confidence)
- Core tasks (primary research focus)
- Exploratory task (open-ended discovery)
- Task order considerations (fatigue, learning)
**4. Probing Questions**
For each task:
- During task: "What are you looking for?"
- After task: "How easy or difficult was that?"
- Expectation vs. reality: "Was that what you expected?"
- Improvement: "What would have made that easier?"
**5. Common Task Mistakes to Avoid**
- Using product terminology
- Describing the navigation path
- Tasks that require specific knowledge
- Unrealistic time pressure
- Tasks with obvious solutions
**6. Edge Case Tasks**
- Error recovery scenarios
- Empty state encounters
- Permission/access scenarios
- Mobile/responsive considerations
## OUTPUT
Complete task set with scenarios, success criteria, and probing questions.
## INPUT
Product/Feature: {{PRODUCT}}
Key Flows to Test: {{KEY_FLOWS}}
User Expertise Level: {{USER_LEVEL}}
Known Usability Concerns: {{CONCERNS}}
Test Duration: {{DURATION}}Or press ⌘C to copy
Replace these placeholders with your own content before using the prompt.
[{PRODUCT][{KEY_FLOWS][{USER_LEVEL][{CONCERNS][{DURATION]