Blog

A person stands at a large screen with a finger raised and question marks overhead, unsure where to click, while a few steps behind them another person holds a notepad and presses a finger to their lips, watching without speaking. The moderator holds back the help they want to give
Guide·9 min read

How to moderate a usability test: what to say when a participant gets stuck

A participant freezes and every instinct says help. Moderating is mostly learning what to say instead, and when to say nothing at all.

Read article
A scattered pile of blank sticky notes funnels down into three neat cards, one highlighted in orange, the way dozens of session notes cluster into a few prioritized findings
Guide·8 min read

The test is over. Now what do you do with all these notes?

A person walks a winding path past a signpost toward an orange flag on a hilltop, the way a good task hands the participant a goal to reach instead of turn-by-turn directions
Guide·7 min read

Write usability test tasks as scenarios, not instructions

A person seen from behind at a fork where one path splits into three colored routes, choosing which one to take, the way you pick a usability testing tool by the job in front of you
Comparison·9 min read

Best usability testing tools: pick for your job and your budget

A row of seven identical user figures: the first five solid with the fifth highlighted in orange, the last two faded, showing that about five participants catch most usability problems
Research·6 min read

How many users does a usability test need? Why 5 isn't always the answer

A magnifying glass over a winding maze, looking past the numbers to see why users get lost
Guide·6 min read

Numbers tell you what's wrong. Usability testing tells you why.