What is usability testing in software development? A complete guide

You can build all the right features, fix every bug, and ship on time – and still end up with a product users don’t want to use.

And that’s where usability testing comes in.

It’s not about checking if the code works. It’s about finding out if people can actually use what you’ve built.

Usability testing helps you spot friction early, make smarter design decisions, and build software that works for real people.

In this article, we’ll break down what usability testing is, why it matters, how to do it right, and mistakes you should avoid.

Let’s dive in!

What is usability testing?

Let’s make this simple.

Usability testing is how you check if people can actually use your product the way you intended.

Not in theory or in Jira tickets. In real life.

It’s a type of non-functional testing. 

That means you’re not checking if the logic is correct. Functional testing says, “This button triggers the right action.”

Usability testing says, “Does the user understand what that button does and when to click it?”

Big difference.

You’re checking how users interact with your product – what they understand, where they get stuck, and what frustrates them.

When we talk about usability, we’re really talking about three things:

• Effectiveness – Can the user complete their task?
• Efficiency – How much effort does it take?
• Satisfaction – How does it feel to use?

If your product doesn’t check all three boxes, it’s not usable. It might be functional, but that’s not enough.

Key usability concepts in software development

Next, we’ll cover the 3 key concepts and metrics in more detail.

Effectiveness

This is the foundation of usability.

If people can’t complete their task, nothing else matters.

You can have beautiful animations. Clever transitions. Snappy performance. But if a user opens your app to do something – and fails – you’ve lost them.

That’s what effectiveness is all about.

It answers one question: Are users able to complete their goals completely and without hassle?

Want to build software that actually works for users? Let’s talk →

You’ll be talking with our technology experts.

It’s not a guess. It’s an objective measure – something either works or it doesn’t.

Imagine you’re testing an online booking system where users need to pick a date and time. 

Sometimes, users think they’re done – but they miss a final “Confirm” button hidden at the bottom of a long page. When that happens, the booking doesn’t actually go through.

That can leave users confused and frustrated when they don’t get a confirmation email.

The form works fine, if users click the right button. But some just don’t get that far.

That’s a failure in effectiveness. And this isn’t about the code – it’s about whether the process feels complete and clear from the user’s perspective.

In short, effectiveness is about the outcome.

If the user’s goal is to pay a bill, book a flight, or upload a file – did they get there?

Yes or no. That’s how you measure it. Not with assumptions or analytics. With real people doing real tasks, while you watch.

That’s when the truth shows up.

Efficiency

Effectiveness is about getting the job done. Efficiency is about how much effort it takes.

Even if users can complete a task, they’ll bounce if it’s too slow, too annoying, or too complicated.

Efficiency asks: Can users achieve their goal without wasting time or energy?

It’s an objective measure. You can track it with metrics like:

• Time on task: How long users take to finish a task.
• Number of clicks/taps: Total actions needed to complete a task.
• Navigation path length: Number of screens visited before task completion.
• Error rate: How often users make mistakes or redo steps.
• Help requests or pauses: Times users hesitate or ask for help.
• Task success rate: Percentage completing tasks without assistance and on time.
• User-reported effort: How hard users say the task felt.

People don’t want more features. They want less friction.

They want to do what they came for – fast.

So when you’re testing, don’t just ask “Can they do it?”, ask:

• How hard was it?
• How long did it take?
• How many hoops did they jump through?

Efficiency isn’t about adding shortcuts. 

It’s about removing everything that’s in the way.

Satisfaction

This one’s different.

Effectiveness and efficiency are objective. Satisfaction is personal. It’s not about what users do, it’s about how they feel while doing it.

And that feeling sticks. 

Satisfaction matters because users who feel comfortable and confident are more likely to keep coming back.

You can’t measure this with a timer. You need to ask your users directly and pay close attention to how they behave and speak.

Their body language, tone, and throwaway comments often reveal more than formal feedback. Because satisfaction is personal, you have to dig deeper:

• Ask open questions that invite honest answers.
• Listen carefully to tone and choice of words.
• Watch for signs in body language and facial expressions.
• Pay attention to the small comments users make off the cuff.

Make sure users feel comfortable speaking openly. Encourage them to think out loud during the test so you catch their immediate reactions.

Satisfaction isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s what makes people want to keep using your product.

It takes patience and care to uncover. But the insights you gain make it completely worthwhile.

How to run a usability testing session in software development

There’s a clear process behind good usability testing.

We break it down into three main steps you should follow:

• Planning – Set clear goals. Define what you’re testing, with whom, and how.
• Conducting the session – Guide users through tasks. Observe and don’t interfere.
• Analysis and reporting – Sort findings. Highlight what’s broken and what’s working.

We’ll go deeper into each of these in the next sections. 

But the key thing to remember is this: Usability testing is not about testing the user. It’s about testing the product.

If someone struggles, it’s not their fault. It’s your design telling you something important.

Remember, the goal is to uncover real issues so you can build a product that works for the people who use it.

Plan the usability test

This is where most usability tests go wrong.

Not in the session itself or in the analysis. But right here, at the start.

If the planning is off, everything after it will be too.

Good usability tests need to be clear: What are we testing, who are we testing with, and why?

So, start by writing a plan. It doesn’t have to be long, but it does need to be clear.

You need to define:

• The purpose of the test
• Which features or flows you’re testing
• Who the users are
• How many sessions you’ll run
• Where the test will take place

You don’t want to realize halfway through that you forgot to test a key flow or that your users aren’t even close to your real audience.

This starts by recruiting the right people.

Don’t test with colleagues. Don’t test with friends. Don’t test with people who already know the product. Test with people who represent your actual users.

Offer incentives if needed, like money, vouchers, and merch. It’s a small price to pay for insight that could save your product.

And no – you don’t need 20 users. 4 to 5 users per round are usually enough to spot 80-90% of major usability issues.

source: Nielsen Norman Group

Next, you need to define the tasks you’ll be testing and what users are going to do.

Write a script and keep it simple. Tell them what to do, not how to do it – you’re testing how your product works, not if they can follow instructions.

Also, run a dry run of the test before the session. Grab someone from your team who hasn’t worked on the product and go through the test exactly as planned.

Ask them:

• Are the instructions clear?
• Does the prototype load correctly?
• Are the tasks realistic?

You’d be surprised how often pilot tests catch issues like typos in prompts, broken flows, and unclear task wording.

Also, location matters, too.

Are you testing in person? Online? In the field?

Each setup has pros and cons:

• Lab testing gives you more control but may not reflect real-world use.
• Remote testing feels more natural, but you lose some non-verbal cues.
• Field testing gives context, but adds variables you can’t always control.

Pick what fits your product and your users. Field testing is a much better fit for a navigation app, for example.

Just remember the key rule: Always record the session, with permission, of course.

You’ll want to revisit it later and catch things you missed live and patterns you didn’t notice the first time.

Planning is where you set the stage. The best usability tests start with sharp, focused planning.

If you rush this step, you’ll end up testing the wrong thing with the wrong people and get the wrong data.

Slow down, think it through, and write it down.

Conduct the usability testing session

This is the heart of usability testing.

All the planning, all the prep leads to this. You sit down (or hop on a call) and watch someone use your product for the first time.

What they do in those 30-60 minutes will tell you more than a month of internal feedback ever could.

But here’s the thing – how you run the session makes or breaks it.

You should start every session with a short briefing. Before anything else, explain the purpose and set the tone.

Tell them clearly:

• “We’re not testing you. We’re testing the product.”
• “There are no wrong answers here.”
• “Your honest feedback is what helps us improve.”

This helps users relax. Remember, you want real reactions, not people trying to impress you or avoid mistakes.

Ask a few quick background questions, too. Understand their context, who they are, and what they use similar products/tools for.

This will help you interpret their feedback later.

Also, make sure everything is ready before they join:

• The prototype should load
• The tasks should be written
• The screen recording should be working

Hold the session in a quiet space with no distractions.

And if it’s a remote test, double-check links and browser compatibility. You don’t want to waste time troubleshooting mid-session.

Once everything is ready, give the participants a task – then step back and watch what happens.

You’re not walking them through a demo, you’re asking them to complete a real-world task.

You need to let them struggle. If they ask, “What should I click here?”, Resist the urge to answer. Just say: “What would you do if I wasn’t here?”

Encourage them to think out loud. Ask them to explain what they’re trying to do, what they expect, and what confuses them.

You’ll be amazed how much you learn just from hearing their thought process.

But, watch everything, not just what they say. Pay attention to:

• Where they hesitate
• What they hover over
• How often they go back
• Where their eyes go first
• Their body language
• Their tone when reading text

Someone might say, “It’s fine,” while frowning and squinting at the screen. That’s a pretty big clue.

Once the tasks are done, ask the participants open questions like: What did you like? What was frustrating? What would you change? Would you use this product again?

Let them speak freely. Often, the most valuable feedback comes after the tasks when they’ve processed the experience.

Moderating takes practice. But the more you do it, the better your instincts get.

And when you get it right, the insights are clear, honest, and impossible to ignore.

Analyze and report usability testing results

You’ve done the planning and you’ve watched the sessions. Now it’s time to turn raw observations and numbers into clear, useful actions.

This is where all the insights come together.

And no, you’re not just writing a list of bugs. Usability analysis is about understanding the why behind the struggle.

As soon as the session ends, you should debrief with your team. 

Don’t wait a week. You’ll forget the little things that mattered. Sit down with the moderator, note taker, and any observers and talk it through:

• What went well?
• What broke?
• What surprised you?
• What patterns did you see?

If you recorded the session, review key moments together. Sometimes what seems like a one-off at first glance will turn out to be a trend.

Next, you should categorize your findings.

After each session, sort your notes into four buckets:

• Usability problems – Confusing flows, unclear copy, and hard-to-find actions.
• Positive findings – Things users liked, clear wins, and standout features.
• Good ideas – Unexpected suggestions from users.
• Functional defects – Actual bugs or broken features (you’ll find a few!).

Then, you need to start labeling the issues.

But remember, not all problems are equally important.

Some block users completely and others just cause friction.

Label each issue like this:

• Critical – Stops the user from completing a core task.
• Major – Serious friction, but task still possible.
• Minor – Annoying, but doesn’t impact task completion.
• Nice-to-fix – Cosmetic or edge-case issues.

This will help you prioritize what to fix now, and what can wait.

And now you need to put it all together in a report people will actually read.

It should include a quick summary of what was tested and why, key insights and usability issues, screenshots or quotes that support your findings, and a prioritized list of recommendations.

Use plain language and avoid jargon. The goal is to convince stakeholders that fixing these issues matters.

And if your report doesn’t land, nothing will get fixed – selling the findings is just as important as the analysis.

Present the results to your team, product owners, designers, devs – whoever’s making decisions.

Show clips, quote users, and tell stories. If someone sees a real person struggle with a task, they’ll remember it and they’ll want to fix it.

This step is where insights turn into action. Clear analysis and straightforward storytelling help make sure the important issues get fixed. Without this, even the best findings can get ignored.

Other ways to evaluate usability in software development

Next, we’ll cover a couple of other ways to evaluate usability: usability reviews and user surveys.

Usability reviews

A usability review is your first chance to spot problems before real users ever touch your product.

It’s fast, affordable, and brutally honest (if done right).

Think of it like a design pre-flight check. You’re not writing code or testing with users yet. You’re just scanning the UI with experienced eyes.

So, who does the review?

Usually, UX designers. Sometimes QA engineers. And in some cases, product managers or even developers join in.

And if you’re smart, you’ll include people who aren’t involved in the project. Fresh eyes always see more.

You can even bring in potential users at this stage, just to observe their first impressions.

Here’s how it works: you walk through the interface, step by step. You look at the copy, layout, logic, and flow.

Then, you ask questions like:

• Is this button where I’d expect it?
• Does this label make sense?
• Why does this take three clicks when it should take one?

You’re not looking for bugs. You’re looking for friction and you document everything that feels off, even if it’s minor.

Usability reviews are even more powerful with heuristics. A lot of reviews use something called a heuristic evaluation. 

That just means evaluating the design based on a set of principles or “rules.”

We use Jakob Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics as a baseline.

source: UX Collective

Here’s a quick breakdown of what we look for:

• Visibility of system status – Does the user know what’s happening?
• Match between system and the real world – Is the language familiar, not technical?
• User control and freedom – Can users easily undo mistakes?
• Consistency and standards – Are we following common platform patterns?
• Error prevention – Can we stop mistakes before they happen?
• Recognition rather than recall – Is everything visible, not hidden behind memory?
• Flexibility and efficiency of use – Are there shortcuts for advanced users?
• Aesthetic and minimalist design – Are we keeping things clean and focused?
• Help users with errors – Do error messages make sense to humans?
• Help and documentation – Is help available only where needed?

Now, you don’t need to follow all ten like a checklist. But the more you cover, the better your product will feel.

You don’t need real users to find obvious problems. You just need smart people, a bit of structure, and clear goals.

Do it early, do it often, and always document what you find.

Usability reviews won’t catch everything, but they’ll catch a lot.

And when you run them early, they save time and help you avoid confusion and rework later on.

User surveys

User surveys are your low-effort, high-impact tool to judge usability.

They don’t replace usability testing, instead they complement it. Surveys help you understand what people think and feel after using your product.

Sometimes what users say in a survey confirms what you saw in testing. Other times, it reveals something new.

Either way, it’s data you can use and they help you capture subjective feedback at scale.

You might test with 5 users in person, but a survey can reach 500.

With them, you can spot broader signals and patterns and they’re also good for measuring changes over time.

Use surveys after someone’s used your product – after a test, onboarding, or completing a task while the experience is still fresh.

Don’t wait a week, you’ll get vague answers. Keep it close to the actual interaction.

Good surveys are short, focused, and easy to answer.

Ask about:

• How easy something was
• How confident users felt
• What frustrated them
• Would they use it again?
• Would they recommend it?

Avoid complex language and unclear questions. You want users to give honest answers, not guess what you meant.

Sometimes you want a quick gut check. Other times, you need something more structured.

That’s where standardised surveys come in.

You can use:

• SUS (System Usability Scale) – A short, 10-question survey that gives you a usability score from 0 to 100. It’s quick to run and works well for almost any product, especially when you want a simple way to track improvements over time.
• SUMI (Software Usability Measurement Inventory) – A more detailed questionnaire used to benchmark software usability across several dimensions like efficiency, affect, and control. It’s useful when you need structured, comparative data, especially for more complex systems.
• WAMMI (Website Analysis and Measurement Inventory) – A tool designed specifically for websites. It focuses on areas like satisfaction, trust, and how users perceive the site overall. Best used when you’re looking at web UX from a broader experience angle, not just task completion.

We don’t use these on every project. But they’re helpful when you want to track changes over time or compare versions.

In short, surveys give you the why behind the what.

They don’t show you how users behave. But they tell you how users feel. 

When you combine that with usability testing, you get the full picture.

And that’s why they’re so useful.

Common pitfalls and mistakes in usability testing

Usability testing is powerful. But only if you get it right.

A badly run test will give you misleading results. Or worse, it will convince your team to ignore user feedback entirely.

We’ll go over some of the most common mistakes and pitfalls we’ve seen over the years and how to avoid them.

The big one is if your test has an unclear purpose. If you don’t know what you’re trying to learn, you won’t learn anything useful.

You shouldn’t just want to “get general feedback” – you need clear test goals and defined flows.

Another huge mistake is testing too late. Some teams treat usability testing like a final check and run it right before launch.

At that point, you’re not testing to improve – you’re testing to confirm. And if you find a serious issue, you’re stuck.

One common mistake that’s easy (and human!) to make is being over-helpful as a moderator. This is very common, especially with first-time moderators.

The user gets stuck. There’s an awkward pause. And the moderator jumps in: “Try clicking the top-right button.”

The goal of usability testing isn’t to guide the user through the task. It’s to see if the product guides them.

Another important thing to remember is that once a user finishes the last task, you’re not done. You still need to do a post-session interview.

Always ask a few open-ended questions after each session. This is when they’ll say things like:

• “That dropdown annoyed me.”
• “It was fine, but I wish it were faster.”
• “Actually, I didn’t know what that icon meant.”

You don’t want to miss that.

Also, make sure to involve stakeholders from the start.

We touched upon this earlier, so to keep it brief we’ll just say this: you should involve them because if they don’t see the problems with their own eyes, they won’t believe in them.

This way, you don’t have to “sell” the problem – they see it.

And if they’re not present, remember this: a long and unclear test report is as good as no report. 

If people can’t skim it and understand what to fix, they’ll ignore it. Nobody wants to read a 30-page PDF that’s just an incomprehensible wall of text.

Here’s what your report should include:

• Short summary
• Clear top findings
• Severity ratings
• Screenshots and quotes

A good report is short, sharp, and actionable.

But, keep this in mind, too – usability testing isn’t just about finding problems.

You’re also looking for what works. That’s how you know what to keep, what to expand, and what not to mess with.

So, if every user likes a certain feature and it comes up often, you need to highlight it in your report.

If you only report negatives, you miss opportunities to double down on what users love.

In short, usability testing isn’t hard to get right.  But it does take focus, discipline, and a clear plan. 

And avoiding these common mistakes will lead to real, meaningful improvements to your product

Usability testing: FAQs

Want to build software people actually enjoy using?

We can help.

We’re a product-minded team of 80+ high-caliber engineers, designers, and product specialists who care deeply about how real users experience the products we build.

We’ve partnered with a wide range of companies across different industries to build reliable, user-centric software that’s designed with intent and tested with real people.

If that sounds like what you need, let’s talk. We’d love to hear what you’re working on!