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Usability testing means putting your product in front of real users to find out if it works the way you intended. It is one of the most reliable ways to catch UX problems before they become expensive ones -- and to build products people actually love using.
What Is Usability Testing and Why Should You Do It?
Usability testing is the practice of observing real users as they interact with your product, so you can see where things break down and why.
Scientists would never release a new formula to the public without testing it first. No matter how solid the theory, testing is the only way to prove it holds up in the real world. The same logic applies to product design -- and yet plenty of designers and business professionals still skip it.
In this series (see Part Two here), we explore what usability testing is all about, why it is a crucial step in the product design process, and how to run tests like a pro.
Why Do So Many Teams Skip Usability Testing?
Most teams that skip testing are not being reckless -- they are making excuses that feel like constraints.
The usual ones go something like:
- "It's too expensive."
- "It takes too much time."
- "We don't need it. We know what we're doing."
- "We've already invested a ton of time and money in this direction. It wouldn't make sense to go back now."
These are real pressures that almost any company can relate to. But at the end of the day, they are not good reasons to skip usability testing. They are excuses.
At Drawbackwards, we believe "Design Success = User Success." That means no matter how certain you are about your product's viability, there is no substitute for real user feedback.
What Happens When You Skip Testing?
Spotify is a good example of what can happen when you actually do the testing -- and what you risk when you do not.
As Spotify pushed to improve retention and user engagement, they had a hypothesis: the app's navigation was holding them back. At the time, much of the iOS app's navigation was hidden behind a hamburger icon (three horizontal lines in the corner of the screen). They wondered if users were struggling to find the features they needed.
After extensive testing with both new and existing users, Spotify reported that those who had access to a clearer tab bar menu that was not hidden "ended up clicking 9% more in general and 30% more on actual menu items." The tests also revealed that reducing the number of options in the tab bar to five increased the reach of Spotify's programmed content.
That kind of engagement boost pays for usability testing many times over.
When you skip testing, you run the risk of:
- Self-designing a product that satisfies you and your team but does not solve your users' problems or reach your business goals
- Seeing customer satisfaction and sales decline, potentially leading to failure
- Missing huge UX problems that could have been easily fixed if caught earlier
- Abandoning good ideas that could have worked if the real UX problems had been properly identified in the first place
- Losing opportunities for product or service improvements to competitors
- Contributing to users feeling frustrated that nobody ever thinks about them when designing experiences
What Do You Gain by Making Usability Testing Part of Your Process?
With product testing baked into your process, your team can:
- Reveal usability problems and fix them before they turn into massive issues
- Learn not only WHAT users do, but also WHY they do it
- Align your team and executives around creating experiences for users, not themselves
- Identify opportunities to improve the product using a task-oriented approach to testing, rather than a traditional focus group
- Increase the likelihood of seeing a return on investment for money spent on design and development
So, would you rather spend tons of resources building a product and crossing your fingers that it will work -- or confidently design products that you know will attract loyal fans?
When Is the Right Time to Run Usability Tests?
The right time is before, during, and after development -- not just at the end.
Many designers and product managers run user testing after building their product. That is a good step to get feedback and confirm whether they hit the mark. But if a scientist developed a new medicine, released it to the market, and then tested whether it worked, it could be too late to make corrections. They have already spent significant time and money developing a formula that may not work -- or worse, may make things even worse for their patients.
The most successful scientists, UX designers, and professionals test before, during, and after development.
Before Development
Sets a benchmark or baseline for what the experience is currently like. Even if you are developing a brand new product, it is helpful to understand a user's current workflow and identify ways your product will improve their experience.
During Development
Test ideas to see how real users respond, and make course corrections to avoid wasting resources.
After Development
Validate the hypothesis, measure ROI, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Any testing is better than none, but to get the best results, find a way to weave it into every stage of the product lifecycle.
Next Up: User Testing Tips and Best Practices
So you have traded your suit for a lab coat and realized the value usability testing will have for your product. Now, how do you do it -- and do it well?
Check out Part Two of this series for tips on how to conduct successful screening and testing, plus our favorite tools and best practices to help you gather the best data possible.
If you have questions about usability testing in general or a specific testing challenge you are facing, get in touch with our team at Drawbackwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is usability testing in simple terms?
Usability testing is the process of watching real users interact with your product to see where they struggle and why. It gives you direct evidence of what is and is not working, before problems become expensive to fix.
How much does usability testing cost?
Costs vary widely depending on the scope and method, but the more relevant question is what skipping it costs. Catching a major UX problem after launch -- or losing users to a competitor because of a fixable friction point -- almost always costs more than the testing would have.
When in the product development process should you run usability tests?
Ideally at every stage: before development to set a baseline, during development to catch problems early and course correct, and after development to validate results and find improvement opportunities.
How many users do you need for a usability test?
Research by Jakob Nielsen suggests that five users will uncover around 85% of a product's usability problems. You do not need a massive sample to get actionable insights -- you need the right tasks and the right observers.
Is usability testing the same as a focus group?
No. A focus group asks users what they think and feel about a product. Usability testing observes what users actually do when they use it. The difference matters because what people say they will do and what they actually do are often very different things.
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