Preference Testing: A Simple Guide to Choosing Designs That Resonate with Users

Let’s say you’re building a new website or app. You’re at the fun part, deciding between fonts, colours, and button placements. You pick the one that looks the best to you.

After all, it’s your website, right?

Here’s where many businesses go wrong.

What looks cool to you might not work for your target audience. So how do you make sure your design choices resonate with users before spending time and money on them?

That’s where Preference Testing comes in.

What is Preference Testing?

Preference Testing helps UX designers find out which design users like best by showing them different options and collecting their feedback. It happens early in the design process to guide decision-making.

Is Preference Testing Only About Visual Design?

Yes, Preference Testing is focused on visual elements like colours, fonts, and layouts. If you want to test overall functionality or usability, you’ll need to use other methods like Concept Validation.

Why Do Preference Testing?

Imagine throwing a surprise birthday party without knowing the guest of honour’s favourite cake. That’s what designing without user input is like! Preference Testing gives you insight into what your users like early on, helping you avoid design mistakes.

What’s the Difference Between Preference Testing and A/B Testing?

Preference Testing happens early, helping you choose the right design direction.

A/B Testing happens later, comparing different versions of a finished product to see which performs better.

How to Conduct Preference Testing

1. Define Your Test Goals

Before you start, clarify what you want to learn. Are you looking for user preferences on design elements, or do you want to know why they prefer certain designs?

2. Choose Your Variants

Select 2–3 design options to test. It could be different colour schemes, layouts, or fonts. Keep the choices simple to avoid overwhelming users.

3. Pick Your Testing Method

Quantitative: Use surveys to gather data on which design is preferred.

Qualitative: Use interviews or focus groups to dive deeper into why users prefer one design over another.

Tools like Usertest Pro make it easy to set up and run these tests.

4. Recruit Participants

Find users who match your target audience. You can use recruitment channels like social media or testing platforms with built-in user panels.

5. Run the Test

Present your design options to users and ask them which they prefer. Follow up with questions to understand the reasons behind their choice.

6. Analyze the Results

Look for patterns in user responses. For surveys, focus on the most chosen option. For interviews, identify common themes. If results are unclear, tweak your designs and test again.

Limitations of Preference Testing

Preference Testing is helpful but has its limits:

1. Bias: Users may choose familiar designs, even if something new could be better.

2. Lack of Context: It only shows visual preferences, not how users interact with the design.

3. Limited Behavioural Insight: It doesn’t reveal how users will behave in real-life situations.
   

Conclusion

Preference Testing is a great way to gather user feedback early in the design process. It helps UX teams make informed decisions and create designs that resonate with their audience. However, it’s important to combine it with other research methods to fully understand user needs and behaviour.