Surveys in UsabilityHub

Surveys play a crucial role in understanding user preferences, identifying pain points, and optimizing product experiences. They enable product teams to gather valuable insights, make informed decisions, and ultimately create successful products that resonate with users.

In UsabilityHub, you can create a survey using the design surveys feature or by using the questions test type in the test builder (which we explore in this article).

To get the most out of your surveys, it comes down to choosing the right question types – Short/Long text, Single/Multiple Choice, Linear scale, or Ranking. In this article, we delve into each question style, highlighting their respective use cases and explaining the rationale behind their selection. By understanding the right context for each question type, you can maximize the value of your surveys.

6 design survey question styles: How to choose the right style for optimal insights 

Below, we explore the six different survey question styles in UsabilityHub and explain when to use each style to get the most out of your usability tests. 

1. Short text survey questions

Short text questions allow participants to provide succinct open-ended responses, giving them the freedom to express their thoughts, ideas, or suggestions in their own words. This type of feedback is valuable in understanding users' perspectives and uncovering insights that may not be captured by predefined answer options. 

By using short text survey questions strategically in your surveys, you can collect rich qualitative feedback, gain a contextual understanding, and refine your designs based on user input.

‍Examples of when to use short text survey questions:

• Gathering user feedback on specific design elements: Ask participants to provide short text responses about their impressions, likes, or dislikes regarding specific design elements, such as color schemes, typography, or navigation menus.

• Collecting qualitative data for user testing: For example, gathering feedback on usability issues, task completion difficulties, or overall user satisfaction.
  
  
• Capturing user expectations or goals: This is useful when asking participants to interact with the design. For example, asking users to describe what they hope to achieve or what particular outcomes they’re looking for.
  

2. Long text survey questions

Long text questions allow participants to provide detailed and comprehensive responses, enabling them to express their thoughts, ideas, or suggestions more elaborately. This type of feedback can uncover nuanced insights and provide rich qualitative data for analysis.

Examples of when to use long text survey questions:

• Conceptual feedback: Use long text questions to gather participants' in-depth thoughts and suggestions regarding conceptual aspects of a design. For instance, asking participants to explain their understanding of a design concept or provide detailed feedback on the overall user experience.
  

• Exploring complex user scenarios: Asking participants to describe their interactions with a design in detail. For example, sharing the steps they took, any challenges they encountered, and suggestions for improvements.
  
  
• Collecting user testimonials: Long text questions can be used to capture user testimonials or success stories. Ask participants to share their positive experiences, any outcomes they've achieved, or how your product has positively impacted their goals.

3. Single-choice survey questions

Single choice questions offer a straightforward format for participants to provide their feedback. Respondents simply select one option from a list of predefined choices, making it easy and quick to respond.

Examples of when to use single choice survey questions:

• Feature prioritization: When seeking input on prioritizing features or functionalities, use single choice questions to present a list of options and ask participants to select the most important or desirable feature from the provided choices.
  
  
• Demographic or background information: Single choice questions can be used to collect demographic data or gather information about participants' backgrounds, such as their age range, industry, likes/dislikes, habits, or level of experience. This helps in segmenting and analyzing survey responses based on specific user characteristics.

• Preference testing: Use single choice questions to gather participants' preferences among different design options. For instance, present multiple variations of a design element (e.g. color schemes, layout options, or button styles) and ask participants to choose their preferred option.
  

4. Multiple-choice survey questions

Multiple choice questions allow participants to select more than one option, making them ideal for assessing preferences among various design features or elements. For example, you can present a list of adjectives and ask participants to choose all the options they find relevant.

Examples of when to use multiple-choice survey questions:

• Feature prioritization: Present a list of features or functionalities and ask participants to select the top three or five options they consider most important or valuable. This helps prioritize development efforts based on user preferences.
  
  
• Usability testing: Use multiple choice questions to evaluate the usability of specific design elements or interactions. Present a list of potential usability issues and ask participants to select the ones they encountered during their interaction with the design. This can help identify common pain points.
  
  
• Content preferences: Assess participants' preferences regarding different content types, such as text, images, videos, or interactive elements. Present various options and ask participants to select the content types they prefer for specific sections or pages.

5. Linear scale survey questions

Linear scale questions allow participants to indicate their level of agreement, satisfaction, or preference on a scale, providing quantitative data for analysis. The scale typically ranges from disagree to agree or from low to high.

Examples of when to use Linear scale survey questions:

• Assessing user satisfaction: Gauge participants' satisfaction on specific aspects of a design, such as usability, visual appeal, or overall experience. Participants can indicate their level of satisfaction on a scale, providing a numerical measure for evaluation.

• Perception of usability or difficulty: Present statements about the usability or difficulty of specific design elements or tasks and ask participants to rate their agreement or disagreement on a linear scale. This helps identify areas where improvements are needed.
  

• Likelihood of recommendation: Assess participants' likelihood to recommend a design or product to others using a linear scale. This helps measure the overall satisfaction and potential for advocacy.

6. Ranking survey questions

The last style of questions is ranking, where participants order or prioritize a set of items or design elements based on their preferences. This helps in understanding the relative importance or preference of different options.

Examples of when to use ranking survey questions:

• Feature prioritization: Present a list of design features or functionalities and ask participants to rank them in order of importance or desirability. This helps identify the most crucial features to focus on during the design process.
  
• Content hierarchy assessment: Present different content elements, such as headings, subheadings, or sections, and ask participants to rank them based on their perceived importance or hierarchy. This aids in optimizing the content structure and organization.
  
• Task or workflow optimization: Present a sequence of tasks or steps and ask participants to rank them based on their perceived order of importance or efficiency. This assists in streamlining the user flow and identifying potential improvements.

How to create a survey

Follow the below instructions to create your survey in UsabilityHub:

1. In the top right corner of your dashboard, click Create new test.
2. Name your test and assign it to a project.
3. Under Add a section, choose Questions. 
4. Choose your question type from the dropdown menu and add your question. You can also choose to make it a required question and add conditional logic to follow-up questions.

You can also add questions to any other test type in UsabilityHub, for example adding follow-up questions in a five second test or a preference test.

Gather relevant and actionable information

Remember to consider the balance between open-ended and closed-ended questions in your survey to gather a range of user perspectives while also allowing for efficient analysis and data processing.

For more information on creating effective surveys, check out our guide on writing UX survey questions and Michele Ronsen's advice on how to write effective survey screeners.

Surveys are one of the most useful and flexible testing methods, making them a critical part of your research toolkit. Sign up to UsabilityHub and start gathering insights that will help you create products your users will love.