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Design Usability Testing: 11 common pitfalls you should avoid
Based on personal testing experiences
Usability testing helps us cut down on biases because we get to see how people are different from us when using digital products. Yet, it’s not until you’ve run a dozen tests, that rules your read online how to conduct them start to sink in differently.
Here are 11 lessons I’ve learned from my own testing experiences that you might want to steer clear of in your future tests:
Trap 1: Being overly friendly
I used to believe that being excessively friendly would help participants ease into things, so I’d use jokes and try to connect on a personal level before getting started. But I found out it’s actually better to stay neutral right from the get-go, not just during the process. Being too friendly might prompt users to feel they should give back that same vibe, potentially leading to more positive feedback.
Trap 2: Interviewing in the meantime
When resources are tight, every testing session feels like gold. It’s tempting to ask more questions. Gathering extra data isn’t a bad thing, but if you notice your users are focusing more on you than their screen, it might not be a usability test anymore. The key difference between interviews and usability tests lies in the thinking-aloud technique. This technique helps uncover what truly works for the users, rather than just what they think.
Trap 3: Avoiding awkward silence
You know those awkward moments of silence? In usability testing, they’re your allies. When you stay quiet, people tend to open up more. They start explaining things more thoroughly and thinking harder about why they do what they do. If your participant isn’t chatty, don’t rush to break the silence. Ask something like, “What’s going through your head?” if they’re looking a bit lost on what to say.
