Table of contents

1. Applying for the test
2. On my way to the test
3. The time has come: the test
4. My thoughts after the test
5. Payment time
6. Background information on the test

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7. View the report as a video

1. Applying for the test

Hi everyone, I’m Nora. I’m 29 years old and live in Zurich, Switzerland. I have been registered as a test user with TestingTime for over half a year now. I have already participated in two surveys, but this will be my first time taking part in an on-site test. I am a tiny bit nervous to be completely honest! I don’t exactly know what to expect yet. But I am definitely looking forward to this new experience. After all, when does one get the chance to tell a company directly what one thinks about their product — and make a little money on the side at the same time? But let’s start from the beginning.

1.1 Test invitation via email

I received an email from TestingTime! The email contains an invitation to apply for a study as well as the time and place where the test will be held. It is an in-house study, in other words, a study being carried out on the company’s premises. The time and place work for me, the 55.00 CHF (around £50) compensation for the 45-minute participation sounds great. I click on “apply now” to find out whether I actually meet the test criteria. I’m excited. Finger crossed.

1.2 Questionnaire: Do I fit the profile?

The questionnaire asks me to answer questions concerning my consumption behaviour. I indicate, for example, how frequently I cook at home, how many ready-made meals I buy or where I usually shop for groceries. There are seven questions I need to answer in total. At the end of the questionnaire, I can select time slots on the day of the test during which I would be available. I need around three minutes to complete all questions.

1.3 It’s a match!

Good news: My profile is a match! I have been shortlisted and provisionally registered for the test. Now, all I have to do is wait until I receive a message with the final confirmation and information which time slot I have been assigned to.

1.4 Confirmation email and text

One day has passed since I completed the questionnaire. Just a moment ago, I received my definitive invitation to the study! The message summarises all the most important information once more, including directions. With a click on the green button, I confirm my participation. The test is going to be held in four days already — I’m excited!

2. On my way to the test

It’s here, the day of the test! On my way to the innovative company INNOArchitects, where the study will be held, I start feeling a little nervous. What exactly is in store for me? Which product will I test and what tasks will I be given? I’m hoping that I will be able to provide useful feedback that will be of help to the company.

Arriving at the INNOArchitects office, I am welcomed warmly. I sign a non-disclosure agreement in which I agree to treat the test information confidentially. Afterwards, I am treated to a coffee and asked to wait for a moment. I am told that there is nothing that I could do wrong during the test and that I should just think out loud and share my opinion honestly. This immediately calms my nerves :-).

3. It’s time: the test

I am invited to a large, bright room. There are four people present, they welcome me nicely. Three people are seated to my left; they are silent observers and take notes during the test. A fourth person stands to my right; she guides me through the test and asks me questions. Soon, I am so deeply immersed in the test that I forget that the observers are even there.

I smile when I see the product that I will be testing: It’s a meal kit! In other words, a carefully prepared box with a recipe and all the ingredients needed for it. I am super excited, because I love trying new foods and recipes.

The moderator gives me two tasks. First, I am shown two versions of an advertising poster for the meal kit and I get to describe which one appeals to me more and for what reason. Then, I get to take a closer look at a sample kit. Curiously, I unpack the box, inspect the recipe card and the ingredients. While doing so, I say out loud what goes through my mind: what I like and what bothers me, what questions I have. I am also shown different packaging types and explain which one I like the most.

At the end, the three observers ask me a few more questions about my general impression of the product.

Before I realise it, the test is already over. Time really flew by! I leave the room with a very positive feeling. The moderator and observers gave me the impression that they really care about my feedback.

4. My thoughts after the test

The test was a great experience and definitely not my last study with TestingTime. What I liked the most was that I was able to give my opinion about a product – that isn’t even available in shops yet – directly to the company in question. Especially, because it is a product that I could imagine actually buying myself. Now, I am very excited to find the box on shop shelves and to see which design the client opted for. The 55.00 CHF (around £50) that I earned along the way is the cherry on top.

5. Payment time!

One and a half weeks have passed since my moment in the spotlight. Shortly after the test, I received an email from TestingTime asking me to submit my bank details, which I did right away. Now I just took a look at my bank account and happily realised that the 55.00 CHF transfer from TestingTime had already arrived.* Thanks, TestingTime team! I am already looking forward to participating in another test.
* Incentives for successful study participation will be made in the form of a credit to the related TestingTime-Wallet beginning July 1, 2022. Learn more in our FAQs

6. Background information on the test

The goal of this test was to test a physical product with the target group prior to its market launch. The identity of the company behind the product is confidential and will remain a secret. This is why a non-disclosure agreement had to be signed prior to partaking in the test.

The TestingTime user tests are highly versatile. During your first test, you may test a physical product, but you may just as well test a website or an app or take part in a focus group and discuss a new product idea.

Next to on-site studies, many tests can also be conducted from home using video conferencing tools (e.g. Skype, Lookback, Zoom).

7. View the TestingTime experience report as a video

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