Which of the following lists the seven steps of usability testing in the correct order?

• A. Plan And Prepare; Run The Test; Collect The Data; Analyze The Data; Draw Conclusions; Document The Results; Redesign Based On The Results
• B. Plan And Prepare; Run The Test; Analyze The Data; Collect The Data; Draw Conclusions; Document The Results; Redesign Based On The Results
• C. Run The Test; Plan And Prepare; Collect The Data; Analyze The Data; Draw Conclusions; Document The Results; Redesign Based On The Results
• D. Plan And Prepare; Run The Test; Collect The Data; Redesign Based On The Results; Analyze The Data; Document The Results; Draw Conclusions

Answer: (A)

Structured usability testing follows a clear, seven-step workflow that starts with planning and preparation and ends with redesign based on the results. Planning and preparation sets the objectives, tasks to test, participant criteria, and success metrics so everyone knows what success looks like. Running the test puts participants through those tasks in a controlled setting, gathering authentic interactions and responses. Collecting the data captures everything observed and recorded during the test—observations, metrics, notes, and recordings—so there’s solid evidence to work from. Analyzing the data turns raw observations into meaningful insights, identifying where users struggle and why. Drawing conclusions then summarizes those insights into actionable findings and prioritizes issues to address. Documenting the results creates a durable record—reports, findings, and recommended changes—that stakeholders can review. Finally, redesigning based on the results uses those findings to improve the design and inform the next iteration.

This order matters because each step depends on the work that came before: you can’t analyze data you haven’t collected, you can’t draw useful conclusions without analysis, and you can’t plan effective changes without documented findings. The other sequences disrupt this flow by misplacing steps (for example, analyzing before collecting, or redesigning before documenting and concluding), which risks missing issues and undermines the justification for changes.