I used to treat usability testing like a checkpoint. Do the designs, run a few sessions, confirm things look fine, and move on. Then I started sitting in on more sessions and realised there was more to it. Usability testing is usually the first moment where reality shows up.
Watching always beats asking
When you ask people questions, they try to be helpful. They explain what they think they did or what they assume you want to hear. When you watch them use a product, there is no filter. You see the pause before a click. The second guess. The quiet sigh. Those moments tell you exactly where the design is actually hit or miss.
Real work reveals real problems
Generic test tasks rarely reveal much. Things get interesting when someone tries to do their actual job. Uploading a record, correcting a mistake, or finding something under time pressure exposes design assumptions very quickly. Either the system supports the work, or it gets in the way. There is no middle ground.
You do not need a big sample
Some of the clearest insights I have seen came from just a few sessions. When different people trip over the same thing, it is not a user issue. It is a design issue. Usability testing is less about numbers and more about paying attention.
The hardest part is saying nothing
When someone struggles, the instinct is to explain what you meant or to guide them. That urge is strong. I have learned to sit on my hands instead. If a design needs explanation, it probably needs fixing.
Why I keep coming back to testing
Usability testing is not about proving you are right. It is about catching problems early, before they turn into workarounds, frustration, or blame later on. Every session leaves me a little humbler and the product a little better. That is reason enough to keep doing it.
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