In the following list, we group together some of our articles and videos on topics related to qualitative usability testing. Within each section, the resources are shown in recommended reading order.
Qualitative Usability Testing: The Method
In a usability-testing session, a researcher (called a “facilitator” or a “moderator”) asks a participant to perform tasks, usually using one or more specific user interfaces. While the participant completes each task, the researcher observes the participant’s behavior and listens for feedback.
If you’re totally new to usability testing, we recommend you explore the following resources in order. If you have some prior experience, feel free to pick a subtopic and start there.
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Number |
Link |
Format |
Description |
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1 |
Article |
A basic introduction to the concept of qualitative usability testing |
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|
2 |
Video |
A short explanation of why you’d want to conduct a usability test (sometimes called “user testing”) and how these tests are typically performed |
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|
3 |
Video |
The equipment typically used for in-person usability testing (on desktop/laptop or mobile devices) and how to arrange that equipment |
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4 |
Video |
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5 |
Video |
Tips for using usability testing to evaluate content |
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|
6 |
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Usability Tests
|
Article |
How different types of study goals inform the setup of usability tests |
| 7 | Perfecting Your Usability Studies | Report | A collection of tips and techniques for planning and conducting usability tests (This report isn’t free, unlike the other resources listed in this study guide.) |
Participants
This list of resources covers:
- Why the participants (people who participate in your study) you recruit are so important
- How to recruit participants
- How many people to recruit for your study
- Whether or not it’s okay to use the same participant in multiple studies
- How to collect informed consent from your participants
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Number |
Link |
Format |
Description |
|
1 |
Article |
A basic introduction to the concept of usability testing |
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|
2 |
Video |
Why having realistic (“typical”) users is critical to your research |
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|
3 |
Article |
Tips for finding people and convincing them to participate |
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|
4 |
Article |
Why we recommend conducting qualitative usability testing with about 5 participants per user group |
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5 |
Video |
More detail about the logic behind the 5-participant recommendation |
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6 |
Video |
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7 |
Video |
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8 |
Article |
When it’s okay to use coworkers as usability-testing participants |
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9 |
Video |
Using the same participants for multiple usability tests |
|
| 10 | Obtaining Consent for User Research | Article | Why informed consent is important, and how to write a consent form for your study |
| 11 | How to Recruit Participants for Usability Studies | Report | Free in-depth report covering recruiting strategies and techniques |
Tasks
This list of resources covers:
- Why we need to write usability-testing tasks carefully
- What makes a good task
- How to write and order good tasks
|
Number |
Link |
Format |
Description |
|
1 |
Video |
Why task instructions are so important |
|
|
2 |
Turning User Goals into Task Scenarios for Usability Testing |
Article |
How to decide which tasks you might want to write |
|
3 |
Writing Tasks for Quantitative and Qualitative Usability Studies |
Article |
How writing tasks for qualitative usability testing differs from writing tasks for quantitative studies |
|
4 |
Eyetracking Shows How Task Scenarios Influence Where People Look |
Video |
An illustration of how the exact way you write your task will influence your user’s behavior |
|
5 |
How to Maximize Insights in User Testing: Stepped User Tasks |
Article |
The stepped task strategy — starting with open-ended tasks and then moving to directed, focused tasks |
|
6 |
Write Better Qualitative Usability Tasks: Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid |
Article |
The most common task-writing mistakes and how avoid them |
Facilitating a Usability Test
This list of resources covers:
- The importance of having an experienced facilitator
- How you improve your own facilitation skills
- Encouraging participants to think out loud
- How to handle observers
|
Number |
Link |
Format |
Description |
|
1 |
Video |
Why it’s important to have an experienced facilitator run the test |
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2 |
Video |
Some useful techniques for facilitating usability testing |
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3 |
Article |
How to communicate with participants without influencing or distracting them from the study |
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4 |
Article |
Why thinking out loud (sometimes called the “think-aloud protocol”) is useful |
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|
5 |
Article |
How to handle observers — people who watch your study |
|
| 6 | Observers in In-Person and Remote Usability Studies | Video | Avoid having the observers distract and bias the study participants |
| 7 | Checklist for Moderating a Usability Test | Article | Ten steps for facilitating usability testing, plus a sample facilitator guide |
| 8 | Checklist for Planning a User Test: Part 1 | Video | A list of 10 things you should do before you run a usability study |
| 9 | Checklist for Moderating a User Test: Part 2 | Video | A list of 10 things you do while running a usability study |
| 10 | Usability Test Facilitation: 6 Mistakes to Avoid | Video | Become a better usability testing facilitator by avoiding common missteps |
Remote Usability Testing
This list of resources covers remote usability testing. There are two primary types of remote usability testing:
- Remote moderated usability testing is conducted synchronously. The participant and facilitator meet virtually, often using video conferencing apps like Zoom.
- Remote unmoderated usability testing is conducted asynchronously — the researcher sets up the tasks and instructions in a testing platform, and the participant performs the tasks on their own while recording a video.
For more resources, check out our separate study guide on remote usability testing.
|
Number |
Link |
Format |
Description |
|
1 |
Remote Usability Tests: Moderated and Unmoderated
|
Article |
An introduction and comparison of these two types of remote usability testing |
|
2 |
Remote Moderated Usability Tests: How and Why to Do Them
|
Article |
When it’s a good idea to use moderated instead of unmoderated tested and how to conduct a remote moderated study |
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3 |
Article |
When it’s a good idea to use unmoderated instead of moderated testing and how to conduct a remote unmoderated study |
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|
4 |
Article |
Tips for choosing among the many unmoderated testing tools and a spreadsheet comparing popular tools |
Special Usability Testing Studies or User Groups
Sometimes we need to modify our methodology when we’re testing with special groups of users or within special contexts. These resources cover some common special situations you might encounter.
|
Number |
Link |
Format |
Description |
|
1 |
Article |
Language and cultural challenges related to testing with people who live in different countries |
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2 |
Article |
Modifying the testing setup to make teens and children comfortable and focused during the study |
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3 |
Article |
Extra steps needed to ensure the participants’ comfort, privacy, and security in studies involving personal information (particularly health or financial information) |
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|
4 |
Video |
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5 |
Report |
How to adapt usability-testing practices to test with participants who use assistive technology (This report isn’t free, unlike the other resources listed in this study guide.) |
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6 |
Article |
How to adjust usability-testing practices to test older (65+) participants |
