A cognitive walkthrough is only as good as the preparation behind it. Before you step through an interface asking the four guiding questions, you need four things in place: a clear picture of who the user is, a concrete set of tasks that user would realistically attempt, the materials that let you simulate each step (prototypes, screens, wireframes, or a working build with a defined action sequence), and a small evaluation team with assigned roles such as facilitator, scribe, and evaluators.
These preparation steps matter because the walkthrough simulates a specific person's thinking at each action. If the user profile is vague, you cannot judge whether a label would make sense to them or whether they already have the background knowledge the interface assumes. If the task sequence is not written out as a correct series of actions in advance, the evaluation drifts into general opinion rather than a structured, repeatable analysis you can document and defend.
The videos below come from Nielsen Norman Group, a long-established usability consultancy. None of them is a cognitive walkthrough tutorial, so treat them as supporting background. While watching, map what you see onto the preparation steps: how a persona sharpens your user definition, how an expert inspection method is set up and staffed, and what usability qualities you will ultimately be looking for when you judge whether a step succeeds or fails.
These videos were chosen from YouTube on October 3, 2026. Each has captions; the player turns them on. Videos on YouTube can be changed or removed — if one no longer plays, tell your instructor. If a player does not appear, use its Watch on YouTube link.