USABILITY TESTING
I've planned and performed usability tests for many products and services. It is a powerful design 'tool': detecting 85% of the problems that users have with your product with only five participants. Pure cost saving insights. It can bring alignment and shared understanding of users and their needs.
Building user empathy
Not long after I started my first job as a designer at Microsoft my work was brought to the test in a usability lab. Behind that one-way mirror I saw my designs fail miserably. That was definitely a humbling experience. But I also learned from that very first usability test that this was a great way to learn more about the people that I was designing for. It was my first experience of building user empathy. When I founded the UX Lab at Gemeente Amsterdam, the first step I took was to perform usability research.
Live observation
Usability tests are a great way to get a team aligned on shared end user goals. When team members experience together how users interact with their work, it removes a lot of discussion and builds essential user empathy at the same time. This is why I focus on shared research planning and participation.
Simple works too
You don't need a one-way mirror or expensive equipment to perform usability tests. At gemeente Amsterdam we booked two meeting rooms for a whole day, used one room as the test-lab and the other for observation. And with a large monitor and two laptops we were in business.
Careful execution
Each session is an opportunity to find new insights, which can lead to new ideas and innovation. But that requires being truly open to what's happening, without assumptions. That's why I prepare each session carefully with observers, and give them tips on how to increase our chances of finding 'gold'.
