CRyder Design

What Is This?

Sentence completion is a research method used in the user experience field. In the book UX Methods: A Quick Guide to User Experience Research Methods authors James Pannafino and Patrick McNeil define it as “A series of beginning sentences that are finished by a user based on a particular experience.” An example of sentence completion would be, “Sentence completion is __________.” Sentences are prepared prior to the implementation of the method. Users are presented with a product and asked to interact with it for a set amount of time. Once the time is up, the users are then asked to complete the sentence with their new knowledge. This method provides insight into the user’s specific experience and thought processes.

Step One: Create the Starter Sentences

Before conducting a study using the sentence completion method, be sure to prepare your sentences ahead of time. As the designer, you have a well-rounded understanding of how the design is intended to work, and how a user is intended to interact with it. With this understanding, you have the capabilities to develop the beginning of open-ended sentences that participants will later have to complete. Sentences can include anything to users’ feelings, understanding of product use, expectations, frustrations, successes, improvements, and much more. Develop the sentences according to the information you are looking to identify from your users.

Step Two: User Interaction

Once you have developed your unfinished sentences, it is time to recruit participants. After you have your participants, and they are ready to participate in the study, introduce them into the product but briefly. Do not give them too much information on the product, as to not bias their answers. Then, allow them to interact with the product. It is ideal to have a set amount of time for the users to interact with the product to maintain consistency in your data. Once the users are finished with their interactions, then you move to the next step.

Step Three: Sentence Completion

After the users have had their interaction with the product, provide them with the unfinished sentences and ask them to complete them freely, one at a time. Be sure to let them know to answer with the first thought that comes to mind, and not to think too much into it. You are looking to identify first impressions. Also, inform them that there are no right or wrong answers to the sentences, they just need to complete them honestly, and to the best of their abilities. 

Examples

The article, “Sentence Completion for Understanding Users and Evaluating User Experience” highlights the use of sentence completion throughout the different phases of design. The article states,  “The three case studies demonstrated the use of sentence completion for the different purposes in product development. The technique was used for identifying user needs and values in the concept design phase, gathering information about user experience after trial use, and evaluating user experience in conjunction with usability testing. Sentence completion was shown to be useful for these different purposes as well as identifying different dimensions of user experience.” This article explains that no matter what phase of design you are in, sentence completion can provide you with valuable information to use within whichever phase you and your team are at.

The article, “Sentence Completion for Evaluating Symbolic Meaning” highlights the use of sentence completion to identify commonalities among user understanding. “The two case studies provide preliminary evidence that the sentence completion technique can provide useful information on how users interpret the symbolic meaning of products. The experience of evaluating product meaning shows that users seem to have a consistent and shared view of meaning, although individual users may have personal meanings that are not commonly shared. Users are different, which is why some may have considered ease-of-use feelings and others vary different feelings.” By identifying commonalities among user understandings and uncommon understandings, as a designer you can use this by increasing context surrounding elements that users often had uncommon understandings. Also, you can identify which elements of your product that users quickly and easily understand.

Wrapping Up

This method of analyzing your product will provide you with honest first impressions your users have of your product. With this information, you are able to identify whether or not the product is working efficiently, and communicate its necessary use to the users. If it fails to do so, you can make adjustments to reflect the intended use. It is a simple and accessible method for any level of user experience designers. Try it out on your product, and see what insights it can provide you with!