During a chat with a team of UX researchers, I was asked about usability studies—a question that became all the more relevant later that day. I was at a café, and the barista was grumbling about a new app they had to use for orders. They were frustrated, saying the app was confusing and slowed them down.

If a tool designed to make life easier causes frustration, it's clear there's a problem worth examining.

So, to avoid these pitfalls ourselves, let’s explore what usability studies really are, discuss their importance, and discuss how conducting these studies can help prevent the frustration that can arise from poorly designed tools. This way, we can ensure our products meet users' needs without becoming the source of their complaints.

What are Usability Studies?

Usability studies evaluate how easy and user-friendly a product, service, or system is for users. The goal is to identify any problems or obstacles users encounter when interacting with the product, understand how users feel about it, and gather feedback to improve the product.

These studies typically involve real users performing specific tasks while researchers observe their behavior, gather data, and ask questions. The insights gained from usability studies help product teams, founders, and researchers create more intuitive, efficient, and satisfying products.

Usability studies are commonly conducted in web and app development, software design, and product design.

Why Usability Studies?

Usability studies offer several key benefits that can significantly enhance the success of your product:

1. Identify User Challenges Early:

   Usability studies help you catch potential problems before they become costly. By observing real users interact with your product, you can identify confusing interfaces, difficult-to-navigate features, or any other pain points early on.

   
   

2. Improve User Satisfaction:

   By refining your product based on feedback from usability studies, you can create a more intuitive and enjoyable user experience. This leads to higher user satisfaction, increased loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth.

   
   

3. Reduce Development Costs:

   Addressing usability issues early in the design process can save time and money. It's far more cost-effective to fix problems during the prototype stage than after the product has launched.

   
   

4. Enhance Product Accessibility:

   Usability studies can help ensure your product is accessible to a broader audience, including people with disabilities. This broadens your user base and demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity.

   
   

5. Boost Conversion Rates:

   A product that's easy to use will naturally lead to higher conversion rates. Whether completing a purchase, signing up for a service, or engaging with content, a seamless user experience encourages users to take desired actions.

   
   

6. Informed Decision-Making:

   Usability studies provide concrete data on how users interact with your product, allowing you to make informed design decisions based on actual user behavior rather than assumptions.

   
   

7. Competitive Advantage:

   A well-designed, user-friendly product sets you apart from competitors. Usability studies help you fine-tune your product, giving you an edge in the market by delivering a superior user experience.

Types of Usability Studies

Before going into the different types of usability studies, it’s important to clarify that while the terms "usability studies" and "usability testing" can often be used interchangeably, this is not the case with terms like UX research, user research, or user testing. These methods, while related, have distinct purposes and should not be confused with usability studies.

Here are some common types of usability testing:

1. Moderated Usability Testing

• How it works: In this type of testing, a moderator guides participants through tasks while observing and asking questions in real-time.

• When to Use: This is best for in-depth insights and exploring user behaviors and reactions in detail.

• Example: A researcher sits with a participant and asks them to navigate a new website while noting where they struggle or succeed.

2. Unmoderated Usability Testing

• How it works: Participants complete tasks independently, without a moderator present. These tests are often conducted remotely.

• When to Use: Ideal for collecting data from a larger group or when real-time moderation isn’t feasible.

• Example: Users are asked to complete tasks on a website from their own devices, and their interactions are recorded for later analysis.

3. Remote Usability Testing

• How it works: Users complete tasks in their environment, typically using screen-sharing software or recorded sessions.

• When to Use: Useful for accessing diverse participants in different locations.

• Example: A company conducts usability testing with participants from different countries to ensure their website is globally accessible.

4. In-Person Usability Testing

• How it works: Participants and researchers are in the same physical space during the test, allowing immediate feedback and observation.

• When to Use: This is best for highly interactive products or when nonverbal cues (like body language) are important.

• Example: Testing a new mobile app where the researcher observes how participants physically interact with their devices.

5. Comparative Usability Testing

• How it works: Users compare two or more design options or products to determine which is more usable.

• When to Use: Useful when deciding between multiple design solutions or competitors’ products.

• Example: Participants are asked to complete the same task on two websites to see which one they find more straightforward.

6. A/B Testing

• How it works: A type of comparative testing where two versions of a design (A and B) are tested to see which performs better with users.

• When to Use: Commonly used in live environments, like websites or apps, to optimize user experience based on real-world data.

• Example: Testing two different landing page layouts to see which leads to more conversions.

7. Explorative (or Formative) Usability Testing

• How it works: Conducted early in the design process to explore how users interact with a product concept or prototype.

• When to Use: Ideal for gathering qualitative feedback during the early stages of development.

• Example: A designer presents wireframes to users and asks for their initial impressions and suggestions.

  
  

How to conduct usability studies

Here's a guide on how to conduct usability studies effectively:

1. Define the objectives
Start by identifying what you want to learn from the usability study. Are you testing a specific feature, understanding user behavior, or identifying pain points?

2. Select the participants
Choose participants who represent your target audience. This could be based on demographics, behaviors, or familiarity with similar products. For example, If you’re testing an online shopping platform, your participants should be regular online shoppers.

3. Choose the method
Decide on the type of usability testing (e.g., moderated, unmoderated, in-person, remote). This choice will depend on your goals, timeline, and resources.

4. Create test scenarios and tasks
Develop realistic scenarios and tasks for participants to complete during the test. These should align with the objectives of the study.

5. Set up the environment
Utilize tools like Crowd for the study. This might include recording software, screen-sharing tools, or setting up a lab. With Crowd, you have all these

6. Conduct the test, analyze the data, and share report findings
Run the usability test with participants, following your prepared scenarios and tasks. Observe their behavior, ask questions, and take notes. After the testing sessions, review the data collected, including notes, video recordings, and user feedback. Look for patterns, difficulties, and areas for improvement, and then summarize your findings in a report highlighting key insights, usability issues, and potential solutions.

A tool like Crowd empowers you to easily carry out usability studies by providing you with tools to:

A. Carry out over eight different usability testing methods discussed above.
B. Easily set up moderated sessions. You can start instant calls or schedule for future dates.
C. Get access to over 130K participants/users from all around the world.
D. Watch session activity recordings to pinpoint areas of hesitation or difficulty.
E. Convert massive datasets into actionable insights in minutes with our AI analysis feature.

Usability studies examples from top companies

How Spotify redesigned its homepage to enhance user experience

The Challenge:
Spotify's product design team discovered that most visitors to their website wanted to listen to audio directly on the site using the web player. However, users faced difficulty locating the player and experienced frustration due to the cumbersome process required to start listening.

Image from Spotify

The Solution:
1. Setting Clear Research Objectives: The team began by establishing a clear objective for their research: to identify the primary user groups visiting the site, understand their main goals, and pinpoint the obstacles preventing them from achieving them.

2. Selecting the Right Research Methods: They employed surveys as their primary research method, complemented by an in-depth web analytics analysis. This approach helped them identify critical bottlenecks in the user journey and guided the framing of subsequent steps.

3. Developing User Personas: The team created detailed user personas with the data collected. These personas enabled them to uncover and prioritize opportunities, ensuring they designed an experience catering to new and returning users.

4. Prototyping and Testing: The research insights were shared with the entire team, leading to the creation of a prototype. This prototype was then rigorously tested through user evaluations to gather actionable feedback.

5. Refining the Homepage Experience: Based on the insights from prototype testing, the team refined their approach and redesigned Spotify's homepage. The new design allows users to land directly on the web player, providing immediate audio access and significantly reducing user experience friction.

How New York City's pantry system was overhauled

The Challenge:
Each year, 130 million pounds of free food are distributed to 1.4 million New Yorkers who rely on it. However, access to this food has been unreliable. Food pantries faced significant challenges in organizing information and modernizing their intake processes, while those in need often endured hours of waiting in line, only to sometimes leave empty-handed.

Image from bighuman.com

The Solution:

1. The team's first step was to establish a clear goal: to create a system that would enhance the efficiency of food distribution while reducing the burden on both the pantries and the families they serve.

2. To achieve this, they conducted interviews, forums, and surveys, gathering valuable insights into how families interacted with the pantries and how they functioned internally.

3. This comprehensive research informed the design of an experience that improved the process for everyone involved, ultimately leading to Plentiful, a free reservation system designed to streamline operations for food pantries and improve access for the people they serve.

Usability Studies in UX

Usability studies are a key component of User Experience (UX) design, focusing on how real users interact with a product, system, or service. The goal is to evaluate how easily users can complete tasks, identify any obstacles they encounter, and gather insights to improve the overall experience.

Imagine you're working on a new app designed to help users track their fitness goals. Before launching it, you conduct a usability study where real users are asked to navigate the app and perform specific tasks, such as logging a workout or checking their progress. During the survey, you observe how users interact with the app, noting where they struggle, what confuses them, and how long it takes them to complete tasks. This feedback is then used to refine the app, making it more intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable.

In UX, usability studies help ensure that the final product not only meets user needs but does so in a clear, efficient, and satisfying way. By identifying and addressing potential issues early, usability studies are crucial in creating products users love to use.