Usability testing

Inside the team everything seems obvious because you already know where each button is and what each thing is called. Putting the product in front of an outsider breaks that illusion: you see where they hesitate, where they get lost and where they click in the wrong place, things no internal meeting would ever catch.

This template orders the steps to prepare and run a usability session and see how people really use your product, without over guiding or jumping to conclusions. Done well, a session with just a few people already uncovers most of the big problems before they reach production.

From preparing the session to pulling learnings

These are the steps the template brings, in the order worth following:

• Define the goal of the test and what you want to find out
• Choose the tasks to observe, real and concrete ones
• Recruit the participants who fit the profile
• Prepare the prototype or version that will be tested
• Write the session script so you do not improvise
• Run a pilot test to polish the script
• Lead the session without over guiding or giving hints
• Observe and take notes on where each person gets stuck
• Group the problems found by severity
• Share the learnings with the team

How it works in Foco

When you import it, Foco creates the "Usability" workspace with these steps in the List view, grouped by date so you see what to prepare before the session and what is left for after. You tick each step as you go and do not reach test day with loose ends.

You can set yourself a reminder before each session, assign the note taking to someone else while you lead and drop the observations by voice right as it ends, while you still remember every hesitation the participant had.