In order to demonstrate the desired functionality of keybindings (keyboard shortcuts) to users during user testing of a feature, I hand-coded this Proof of Concept to test directly with users to help them decide whether the assigned keybindings made sense in their workflow. I utilized Javascript keybindings to create an interactive prototype that allowed users to toggle functionality within the application.
In this POC, the user can select 'Main content', revealing a context menu. They can open up the properties of this element by clicking the cog icon in the context menu, or using the keyboard shortcut Alt + M to open the properties menu. In addition, the side navigation can be clicked to toggle panels open and closed. Using this POC greatly helped users understand the proposed functionality and gave them a chance to test it out before it was implemented.
See the Pen Sidebar + panels with keybinding by Samantha Howes (@dusterbed) on CodePen.