Summary: The Wizard of Oz is a user-research method where a user interacts with a mock interface controlled, to some degree, by a person.
The Wizard of Oz method helps teams test designs that are powered by complex technologies at a low cost. Instead of building out the technology, designers can simulate the responses the technology might provide by having a person “play” the system’s role.
What Is the Wizard of Oz Method?
The Wizard of Oz method is a moderated research method in which a user interacts with an interface that appears to be autonomous but is (fully or partially) controlled by a human.
The Wizard of Oz method takes its name from the children’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by Frank Baum. In this novel, the main protagonist, Dorothy, and her companions meet a giant head that appears to be a powerful wizard, only to learn that it’s just an ordinary man pulling levers behind a curtain.