Whakamatau — Test and Iterate: Learning From Users

🕘 Lesson at a Glance | Te Hōtaka

Do NowHook — Silence is the data⏱ 5 min 1 · TestingConducting user test sessions⏱ 25 min 2 · SortingThe Feedback Capture Grid⏱ 15 min 3 · Iteration PlanJustifying design refinements⏱ 20 min 4 · Critique PitchSharing the design journey⏱ 15 min ExitJustification write-up⏱ 10 min

Lesson Overview | Tirohanga Whānui

A design is never finished — it is only iterated. In this final lesson of the Design Thinking process, ākonga test their low-fidelity prototypes with real users. They practise the discipline of active observation, watching silently as users interact with their models. They gather qualitative feedback, sort it into a Feedback Capture Grid, and use this empirical evidence to plan design refinements. This lesson reinforces the technological standard that refinements across design iterations must be justified by evidence and user feedback.

Learning Intentions | Ngā Whāinga Ako

Conduct user testing sessions using active observation and non-leading prompts to gather unbiased feedback.
Sort qualitative user feedback into a structured grid containing strengths, weaknesses, questions, and ideas.
Develop a design iteration plan that justifies specific refinements to the prototype using evidence from user testing.

⚡ Do Now

⏱ 5 min

On the board, two scenarios:

Scenario A: A student designer stands next to a user trying their card model. The user is confused, and the designer says: "No, you have to push that flap, see? Like this!"
Scenario B: A designer stands back, watching silently as the user turns the model upside down. The designer writes a note: "User tried to open it from the bottom."

The prompt: Write down which scenario gives the designer better data to improve the design. Explain why.

Teacher: Explain that in user testing, silence is the data. If we have to explain the design, the design has failed. We watch what they do, because that tells us where the design is confusing.

Activity 1 · User Testing Sessions

⏱ 25 min

What it is: Empirical testing in action. Ākonga run structured tests using their prototypes and the scripts developed in Lesson 4.

Run it

Pair up (3 min): Pair A joins Pair B. Pair A will test their prototype first; Student B1 and B2 will act as users.
Run Test 1 (10 min): Student A1 reads the introduction script. Student B1 tries to complete the design task (e.g. find a room, sort waste) using Pair A's prototype. Student B1 must "think out loud." Student A2 observes silently and writes down notes: what they say, what they do, and where they get stuck. Do not help them!
Run Test 2 (10 min): Swap roles. Pair B tests their prototype with Pair A's users. Student B2 observes and records.
Debrief (2 min): Say thank you to your users and return to your pair desks.

Teacher: Keep time strictly. Walk the room to enforce the "silence rule" — check that designers are not showing users what to do.

Activity 2 · Sorting the Feedback

⏱ 15 min

What it is: A visual synthesis framework that categorises user feedback to help designers see what to do next.

Run it

Set up the grid (3 min): Draw a 2x2 grid in your book. Label the quadrants: ➕ What worked (strengths, positive feedback), 📐 What to change (weaknesses, difficulties), ❓ Questions (things the user asked or was confused by), and 💡 Ideas (suggestions or new thoughts that came up).
Populate (7 min): Write your notes from Activity 1 onto the grid. Work individually or in your pair.
Review (5 min): Highlight the 2 most critical issues in the What to change quadrant. These are the priorities for your next iteration.

You'll need: Drawing space in student books and coloured pens.

Activity 3 · The Iterative Refinement Plan

⏱ 20 min

What it is: Evidence-justified critique. In technology, we do not make changes based on personal preference; we justify them with user data.

Run it

Draft refinements (10 min): For the 2 priority issues you highlighted, write down a specific refinement. Example: "We will change the colour of the main label from brown to bright green."
Write the justification (10 min): Next to each refinement, write the justification. It must cite evidence. Example: "Justification: During testing, both users missed the label entirely. One user said, 'I didn't realise that was a button because it blended in with the cardboard.' Green will increase contrast to make the function clear."

Teacher: Walk the room. Make sure the justifications are not just "we think it looks better." They must reference a specific user behaviour or quote from the test.

Activity 4 · The Critique Pitch

⏱ 15 min

What it is: Collaborative critique. Presenting design decisions to the community to check if the refinements are logical and respectful.

Run it

Form groups (3 min): Join another pair (or combine into groups of 6).
The Pitch (8 min): Each pair has 2 minutes to show their prototype and pitch their iteration plan. Group members listen and offer one constructive critique or suggestion.
Log suggestions (4 min): Write down any useful peer suggestions in the Ideas quadrant of your feedback grid.

Teacher: Model constructive critique: "I notice that your change solves the user's confusion, but how will it affect the weight specification you set in Lesson 2?"

Exit · Justifying Design Decisions

⏱ 10 min

Complete this formal design justification in your book before you leave:

Design Refinement Justification Statement:

Our design challenge was... and our final prototype was tested with [number] users.
Based on user testing, the main part of the design that failed to meet specifications was... because we observed...
To refine our design in the next iteration, we will change...
We justify this refinement using the testing evidence that...

Teacher: Review these justifications. This is the summative assessment checkpoint for the unit, proving that ākonga can use evidence to justify refinements across iterations.

🎯 Curriculum Links | Te Hononga ki te Marautanga

This lesson's focus: Ākonga practise technological critique. They learn that design is an iterative process, and any refinements we make to our designs must be justified using evidence and user feedback.

Technology — Core Connection (Phase 3 | Years 7–8)

"Critique uses evidence to justify spatial and product design refinements across iterations."

📑 See the Design Thinking Unit overview for the full curriculum alignment → — Technology · Design, Make, and Innovate · Phase 3 · Years 7–8 (statement pulled verbatim from the live Te Mātaiaho curriculum).

📦 Materials & Resources

This lesson relies on the built prototypes and notebooks.

Constructed prototypes from Lesson 4.
Testing scripts and questions from Lesson 4.
Student notebooks for feedback grids and justification paragraphs.

No external worksheets, videos, or printed handouts are needed. The models themselves are the primary resources.

📊 Assessment Framework

This is the final lesson of the unit, so assessment here is summative, focused on whether students can connect testing evidence to design refinements.

What to look for, mapped to the learning intentions

Testing execution (LI 1): During Activity 1, did the student observe silently and note user actions, or did they lead the user and explain how to use the model?
Sorting feedback (LI 2): Is the Feedback Capture Grid filled with real qualitative data (quotes, observed friction) divided into the correct quadrants?
Iteration justification (LI 3): Does the Exit justification statement cite specific testing observations or user quotes to explain why they chose their refinements?

🚀 Extension Activities

Implement the refinement: If time allows, give students 15 minutes to actually execute their planned changes on their card models, and run a second quick test with a new user to see if the changes improved the specifications.
Stakeholder pitch: Have students prepare a 3-slide pitch presenting their entire design journey (Empathise -> Define -> Ideate -> Prototype -> Test -> Iteration) to present to the class or to school leaders.

🔗 Unit Progression & Next Steps

This is the final lesson of the design thinking loop. The next steps are:

Apply design thinking: Challenge students to use this same 5-phase process for their next technology or cross-curricular project.
Exemplar portfolio: Document the prototypes and justification cards as portfolio evidence of Technological Practice.

📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot

Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria

✅ I can run a user test, observing silently and recording user behaviour. (LI 1)
✅ I can sort observations into a Feedback Capture Grid. (LI 2)
✅ I can write a design justification paragraph citing test evidence. (LI 3)

Differentiation for this lesson

Observation support: Provide a printed Feedback Capture Grid with tick-boxes for common user reactions (e.g. "confused by start," "smiled," "paused at handle") to assist students who struggle with note-taking.
ELL / Language Support: Let students use drawings or flowcharts to show the "before and after" of their prototype refinements. Encourage oral feedback rather than written if needed.
Constructive critique: Monitor peer critique sessions to ensure they remain supportive and focus on the design, not the student's drawing or crafting capability.