Overview
Usability testing observes real users as they attempt to complete specific tasks with your product. Unlike interviews (what they say), usability testing reveals what they actually do. Five users reveal approximately 85% of usability problems.
When to Use
Before launch of any new flow or interface. Also valuable when analytics show unexpected drop-offs or low adoption.
How to Apply It
- Define the tasks you want to test — write them from the user's perspective
- Recruit 5 participants from your genuine target segment — not colleagues
- Brief them: 'Think aloud — tell us everything you're thinking as you go'
- Give each task one at a time. Observe silently — do not help.
- Note: where do they hesitate? What do they click that doesn't work?
- Synthesise findings into a prioritised list of usability issues within 24 hours
Examples in Practice
🎵 Spotify
Testing a new 'Your Music' reorganisation. Task: 'Find a song you liked last month and add it to a playlist.' Finding: 4 of 5 users navigate to Search first — they don't expect liked songs to be in 'Library.' The IA mental model is broken — a navigation label change alone won't fix it.
📊 Trade Surveillance
Please contact the author for more information on these examples at linkedin.com/in/kshitijrege
Common Pitfalls
- Recruiting friends, colleagues, or people who already know your product
- Helping participants when they struggle — their confusion is the data
- Conducting more than 5 sessions before fixing known issues — fix and re-test
Origin
Jakob Nielsen & Tom Landauer
1993
Further Reading
- Don't Make Me Think — Steve Krug
- Rocket Surgery Made Easy — Steve Krug
Related Frameworks