usability testing tips for ux designers

10 April 2023

Usability Testing - Top Tips for UX Designers

“I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you.”The Proclaimers

Me and Skyscanner

Me

Usability specialist10 years in usability research

6 years in consultancy

Used to write a blog (goodusability.co.uk)

Took a ‘proper job’ this year

BBC, British Museum, Schuh, Covestor, Share Centre, lots of big banks (please don’t hate me) etc. etc.

Skyscanner

Europe’s most popular flight comparison website

60m+ sessions per month (site and apps)

25m+ app downloads

70 currencies and over 30 languages

Also cover hotels and car hire

Over 250 employees and growing very very fast

…and we’re hiring UX people www.skyscanner.net/jobs

What I do at Skyscanner

1. Usability testing

Design iterations

Live website and apps

International testing (not me yet)

2. Research

Travel planning needs and behaviour

Bury my head in analytics

3. Annoy everyone with my opinions

Our approach to usability testing

About Skyscanner

Little and often

Use meeting rooms (sometimes coffee shops) not labs

Around 6 participants per study (always target users)

Mostly use interview-based tasks

Promote observation over reports

Top tips

Usability testing - top tips

Doing something is better than doing nothing

Usability testing - top tips

There’s no one best way of doing usability testing

You’re always sacrificing something

Usability testing - top tips

Empathy isn’t a science

Usability testing - top tips

Remember: You’re not like real people

Usability testing - top tips

Every design is brokenYours isn’t going to “pass”

Usability testing - top tips

Comparing A to B?Get ready to make Design C

Usability testing - top tips

Test the clarity of informationBad “Is this information clear?”

Good “Tell me about this flight so I know the information is clear”

Usability testing - top tips

A prototype gallows has to have rope

Usability testing - top tips

Don’t stop testing at the prototype stage

Usability testing - top tips

Some issues are best ignored

Usability testing - top tips

Humanise observers“Dave’s going to watch in another room”

Is that even a word?

Usability testing - top tips

Learn your scriptthen stop reading it

Usability testing - top tips

Distance yourself from the design

Usability testing - top tips

Don’t aim to prove anything

Usability testing - top tips

Test tasks not featuresGo back to unused features at the end of the task/session

Usability testing - top tips

Make the designer watch

..and all the people who make design decisions

Image: PoliceLifestyle.com

Usability testing - top tips

Keep it realistic……but remember, it’s not real

Usability testing - top tips

Don’t exhaust your empathy

Small studies, short sessions, frontload your day

Usability testing - top tips

Task 1 is most precious

Usability testing - top tips

Find the balance

Not leading but vague and confusing

Clear but leading task instructions

Usability testing - top tips

Put words in their mouth

…when they don’t have their own

Usability testing - top tips

Avoid conveniently timed prompts

“Now pretend you’re bringing three children with you”

Usability testing - top tips

Give the participant a punty

Usability testing - top tips

Take few notesWatch instead

Usability testing - top tips

Write pretend notes

Make a ‘Stuff to ignore’ section but don’t write that on it

Usability testing - top tips

Make tasks very specificEven when you don’t need them to be

“Choose a destination, it doesn’t matter where”

This is bad

Be humanRelax and make miskates