What Is Usability Testing?

Key takeaways

Usability testing is a method of evaluating how simple a design is to use by observing how users interact with a product.

• The most common stages of development to conduct a usability test are before designing and during designing.

• The three main types of usability testing are moderated in-person, moderated remote, and unmoderated remote.

• You can carry out usability testing to find and fix design flaws early in the product lifecycle to ensure a smooth development process. 

Discover what usability testing is, why it’s important, the advantages it offers, and the steps to implement it effectively. Afterward, if you’re ready to level up your design skills, enroll in Google’s UX Design Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to apply foundational user experience (UX) concepts, conduct interviews and usability studies, analyze research results, and more. 

What is usability testing?

Usability testing is a method of evaluating how simple a design is to use by observing how users interact with a product. This allows researchers to spot design flaws, determine whether or not users enjoy the product, and whether they find it easy to use. 

When designing a product or system, usability testing allows researchers to assess a product's usability with greater amounts of data and find solutions to any problems that may arise. This process typically includes three main elements: the facilitator, the participant, and the tasks. 

The facilitator records data and gives directions to the participant during the testing. When it comes to the participant, this person should already be a product user or someone who fits in the target group. The third element of usability testing is the tasks given by the facilitator to the participant. These tasks replicate the use of the product in real life.

Usability testing can occur at various stages to test each iteration of a product, from the initial development to its release. This allows researchers to address problems early on when they are more manageable. 

When to do usability testing?

You can start usability testing as soon as you have a tangible product that your customers can interact with and provide feedback. The most common stages of development to conduct a usability test are before designing and during designing. You can also iterate usability testing at any point during the product’s lifecycle to get feedback, update your design, and repeat the process until you and your users are comfortable with your design. 

Who uses usability testing?

Usability testing is a strategy UX researchers use to spot errors and aid in the design process. UX researchers study the behavior of consumers through research methods such as usability testing, data analysis, and findings reports. This allows the design team to build products and make decisions based on research findings rather than making assumptions about what may work best. 

Read more: UI vs. UX Design: What’s the Difference?

Benefits of usability testing

Usability testing allows for numerous benefits for producing a quality product. The following are some advantages of usability testing:

• Provides an opportunity to catch minor errors and make improvements

• Helps gain an unbiased perspective on products 

• Guides design decisions with real user insights

• Provides insight as to how easy it is to complete certain tasks and how long it takes

Usability testing methods

There are three main types of usability testing:

1. Moderated in-person

In a moderated in-person usability test, the facilitator and participant are in the same location. The facilitator can answer questions and help guide the participant through the test. 

2. Moderated remote

This type of usability test allows for the same dynamic between the facilitator and participant, as the facilitator is still able to guide the participant through the test. However, instead of being in the same location, you use screen-sharing software.

3. Unmoderated-remote

In unmoderated remote usability testing, no interaction occurs between the facilitator and the participant. Rather, you can administer tasks automatically through software. This method is cost-effective and great for gathering large amounts of data. 

Within these three types of usability tests, you can further classify them based on your research goal. Here are the five types of tests you can perform depending on what insights you’re looking to gather:

• Learnability: Do users have an easier time navigating your product over time?

• Problem discovery: What issues do users come across when completing realistic tasks?

• Eye-tracking: Where are people's eyes drawn when navigating the technology?

• Competitive: How well does your product perform in comparison to your competitors?

• Benchmark: Is the product becoming more usable after addressing problems and making design changes?

How to do usability testing

To ensure you’re running an effective usability test, it’s important to establish a clear plan and objectives. To ensure your usability testing is successful, it’s helpful to consider the following factors: 

• Have open communication between team members

• Have a clear objective for what specific tasks to test

• Recruit participants who meet the criteria of your target user

• Ask participants questions while testing 

• Collect qualitative and quantitative data to conclude from it 

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