Stakeholders dismiss the power of usability testing. Are you ready to prove them wrong?

I always point to the Nielsen Norman Group graph that shows optimum number of users is around 6-8 to get 80% of the issues (or thereabouts). Even though it's continued to be debated in UX circles what the magic number is, whether it's a handful or a few hundred people to test with, this number never changes: If you test with zero people you have zero insights on usability.

The misconception that stakeholders often have about usability testing is that it is an optional or secondary consideration compared to other aspects of product design, like features or aesthetics. In reality, usability testing is crucial because it directly impacts how easily and effectively users can interact with a product. Ignoring usability can lead to products that are difficult to use, frustrating for users, and ultimately unsuccessful. Usability testing helps identify real-world issues early in the design process, leading to better user experiences, higher satisfaction, and more successful products.

Usability is as important as other testing, it directly tells how websites and software will meet the user expectations. Also by this we can increase the user satisfaction and lead to higher engagement in the software. Usability allows us to catch issues before it launches. Usability testing is not the one time process actually it should be the part of our ongoing release process for product improvement and refinement of the product as the user needs.

There are misconceptions that usability testing costs a luxury and doesn't provide value to its customers. Usability testing offers immense value to both companies and customers. By not conducting usability tests, the products that companies want to launch will inevitably fail. It's critical to conduct some type of usability testing so as to identify usability problems and validate design decisions that were made by the project stakeholders.

To prove the value of usability testing to skeptical stakeholders, start by presenting data from past projects where testing led to clear improvements. Offer a quick, low-cost usability test to demonstrate its impact firsthand. Highlight how usability testing uncovers issues early, saving time and money in the long run. Share success stories where user feedback drove significant product enhancements. Emphasize that testing ensures the product meets real user needs, leading to better adoption and satisfaction. With tangible evidence, you can turn skepticism into support.

Usability testing plays a vital role in creating products that people love to use. By catching and fixing issues early on, it helps save time and money while making the product easier and more enjoyable to use. This process boosts user satisfaction and trust, reduces mistakes, and provides valuable feedback to guide better design choices. In the end, it helps ensure that more people can use and appreciate the product, making it a success in the market and building long-term loyalty among users.

By identifying usability issues early, products can be refined to ensure they are intuitive and user-friendly, enhancing overall user satisfaction. Also, usability testing helps streamline workflows and interactions, making the product more efficient for users and reducing time spent on training or troubleshooting.

Indo em contrapartida a nossos vieses, testes de usabilidade podem ser mais assertivos em apontar possíveis dificuldades dos usuários. Coisas que nossos cérebros de designers já est?o, por muitas vezes, treinados a compreender, podem ser difíceis para um usuário médio. é no teste que temos a capacidade de verificar pontos de melhoria e atestar também eficácia de intera??es.

Finally, users must use our product and be comfortable with it, otherwise our product will not last. In this situation, providing real data from usability testing from users or providing best practices in other businesses can help.

- Direct User Feedback: Usability testing provides invaluable insights into how users interact with your product, revealing both frustrations and delights. - Behavioral Insights: It goes beyond bug detection to uncover user behavior patterns, informing more effective design decisions. - Enhanced Design: Understanding real user experiences helps in crafting a more intuitive and successful product. - Product Success: These insights can be a pivotal factor in achieving a product that resonates well with users and meets their needs.

Outline the user-centered approach, where real users interact with the product in realistic scenarios, providing feedback that guides development. Also, briefly discuss the tools and methods used, such as usability testing sessions, surveys, A/B testing, and heatmaps, to show the range of insights that can be gathered.

Make stakeholders experience what they will receive. Show results from other products/projects and show them the value it created. Make it clear, that - although named TEST - they do not necessarily have to take place at the very end but they can help verify design decisions. Make it clear that developers and designers are NOT the actual users. Only a user will be able to decide if something works for them and is suitable.

In the beginning: make it simple. Although a representative group of users is optimal, sometimes this is not achievable. Especially in an industrial environment, you might be glad to find 5-10 testers. Start small, show the value and then start growing.

é importante que os testes sejam momentos de captura. Documenta??o é chave para que depois possamos transformar os dados em a??o. é por isso que um bom planejamento ajuda a obter o resultado desejado, extraindo o máximo do teste.

Powerful storytelling can convey usability study findings as an opportunity to enhance user experience and improve the KPI. Targeted narratives for stakeholders like business teams can highlight the value of the results for them, increasing the chances of the research being used impactfully.

é importante analisarmos o que nos propusemos a analisar, mas também observar em detalhes outras coisas que possam ser fora de nossa rota de análise e que tragam dados valiosos. Nessa hora, também, a organiza??o será muito importante. Minha dica é caprichar na organiza??o visual - você enxergará mais claramente os achados do teste. Com isso, ficará mais fácil compilar e apresentar dados que fa?am sentido ao negócio.

Após realizarmos os testes de usabilidade, é hora de analisarmos detalhadamente os achados. Além de focarmos nos problemas que planejamos investigar, vale a pena observar qualquer detalhe inesperado que possa fornecer insights valiosos. Minha dica é organizar esses dados de forma visual e clara. Isso n?o só ajuda a enxergar melhor os problemas, mas também torna mais fácil apresentar solu??es que fa?am sentido para o negócio. Com um relatório bem estruturado, destacando o impacto dos problemas e as melhorias sugeridas, você conseguirá mostrar às partes interessadas como essas mudan?as podem realmente refinar o produto e melhorar a experiência do usuário.

The most effective way to advocate for usability testing is to quantify the ROI through measurable usability metrics. Usability testing helps identify pain points and improvement opportunities ealry, reducing costly redesigns and fixes post launch. It boosts key metrics like conversion rates and retention, and lowers support costs by making products easier to use. I never miss a chance to emphasize that usability testing mitigates risks by ensuring produxts align with user expectations and preventing product failures. In today's highly competitive landscape of products and services, usability testing is a strategic investment that is key to business efficiency and user satisfaction.

Share case studies or examples where usability testing has led to significant improvements in product success and user satisfaction. Also, propose a small pilot usability test to demonstrate its value in a low-risk setting. A successful pilot can help win over skeptical stakeholders.