Now that we know the basics of usability studies, we'll get into some specifics. There are two types of usability studies: moderated and unmoderated. Let's check them out. In moderated usability studies, a person guides participants through the study in real time. The person who guides participants through this study is known as the moderator. The moderator's goal is to help participants interact with the product and collect their feedback along the way. On the other hand, unmoderated usability studies do not have a designated moderator. In unmoderated usability studies, participants test out the prototypes without human guidance. Usually, the study is recorded on video and the UX team reviews the video footage after the study. Moderated and unmoderated usability studies have benefits and limitations depending on the scope and goals of your study. To compare these two types, let's walk through the benefits and limitations for each, in detail. We'll start with some of the benefits of moderated usability studies. First, in moderated usability studies, the moderator guides the participant through the study. For example, the moderator might show the participant where to click and ask them about their experience when taking that action. This is beneficial because participants take the exact actions you want to get feedback about. Second, moderated studies allow the moderator to ask specific questions and follow up in real time to learn more. Similarly, the moderator can rephrase a question that a participant is not understanding. This is beneficial because it allows you to collect more information that you can act on to improve your design. Third, moderated usability studies allow for rapport building between the moderator and participant, which can help the participant open up and share more feedback about the design. Building rapport is especially important if the design being tested deals with sensitive or personal issues. Okay, so moderated usability studies sound pretty great, right? Well, they also have some limitations. The moderator could influence or bias the participants. Because a person is guiding the study, there's a chance that person can accidentally let their own thoughts or feelings come into the study. Also, moderated usability studies are less flexible. It's harder to reach populations like single parents or night shift workers, who may be unavailable during the daytime hours. The study can also be difficult to reschedule if a participant does not show up. In addition, there's a chance that the participant may not identify with the moderator. This could make the participant less comfortable, and less open with their feedback. There are many more benefits and limitations to moderated usability studies, which you can learn about in the upcoming reading. Alright, let's shift gears and think about unmoderated usability studies. Remember, unmoderated studies did not have a person guiding the participants. Let's discuss the benefits of this type of study. First, it's easier to see how a participant uses the product in the real world. In unmoderated usability studies, you give the participant a list of tasks to complete on their own. This helps you see how the participant would experience your product without a moderator guiding each step. Second, unmoderated usability studies allow participants to complete tasks on their own time and in their own space, because there is no need for a moderator. This also makes it easier to schedule unmoderated studies. Third, depending on the subject matter, especially if it's sensitive, participants may feel more comfortable giving feedback without others around. As you might have guessed, there are also limitations to unmoderated usability studies. In an unmoderated usability study, participants have no human guidance. Participants get a list of fixed questions and tasks, but if they have issues or need technical assistance, there's often no one to help them. Next, unmoderated usability studies don't give the UX team an opportunity to ask the participant real-time follow-up questions. This can be limiting if the participant does not explain their problem in detail, because there's no way to follow up once the UX team watches the recording. Lastly, there's little to no control over the environment to ensure you have the participant's full attention. Without a moderator present, participants could multitask and not be focused on the key activities in the study. Ultimately, to decide which type of usability study to conduct, the UX team has to consider the scope and goals of the study and the types of participants you're trying to reach. Next up, we'll talk about how usability studies are structured.