User Experience
Usability Testing
Plain English
Watching users try to use something to see what works and what doesn’t.
Definition
guideUsability TestingObserving users complete tasks to identify usability issues, friction, and barriers to success.Open guide is a serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service method used to evaluate how easily users can complete tasks within a product or glossaryServiceA service is a component or function that performs a specific task within a system.Open glossary term.
In practice
Users are asked to complete tasks while researchers observe glossaryBehaviourBehaviour refers to how users interact with a system, including actions, patterns, and responses.Open glossary term, identify issues, and gather glossaryInsightAn insight is a meaningful understanding that explains why something is happening and what it means.Open glossary term.
In context
The most common mistake is asking participants what they think of it. The value is in watching them attempt a task and noting where they hesitate, not in collecting their design opinions.
The reality
Poorly planned tests or biased facilitation can glossaryLeadA lead is a potential customer who has shown interest in a product or service, typically by providing contact information or engaging with content.Open glossary term to misleading results.
Compared with
Usability Testing vs User Research
guideUsability TestingObserving users complete tasks to identify usability issues, friction, and barriers to success.Open guide evaluates whether a specific design works. serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service is broader and includes understanding needs and glossaryContextContext is the set of surrounding conditions that shape how someone behaves and decides, including their goal, their environment, their time pressure, and what happened immediately before. The same action can mean different things in different contexts.Open glossary term before a design exists. Testing improves the solution; research questions whether it is the right one.
FAQ
Common questions
A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this term.
What is usability testing?
It is observing users completing tasks to identify glossaryUsabilityUsability is how easy and efficient it is for users to complete tasks within a product. It focuses on clarity, simplicity, and reducing effort so users can achieve their goals without confusion or friction.Open glossary term issues.
Why is usability testing important?
It reveals real user problems that analytics alone cannot show.
When should you run usability testing?
Throughout the design glossaryProcessA process is a defined sequence of steps used to achieve a specific outcome.Open glossary term, from early concepts to live products.
What is a common mistake?
Leading users or interfering too much during the test.
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