Usability Testing Services
Our small research team has led moderated user testing of hundreds of digital products, from live consumer apps to enterprise software prototypes. After we conduct the research, we help product teams align and act on their usability data through remote workshops.
Usability Project Examples
McDonald’s — Mobile App Prototype Testing
In 2022, we led early-stage testing of a new mobile ordering flow for McDonald’s. Prototype testing with 19 users, rapid design changes, and live app testing with 19 more users. Learn more: Prototype UX Testing of a New Mobile Ordering Flow.
Malwarebytes — UX Testing of B2B Software
Usability testing with IT pros who manage security software at midsize organizations. 10 moderated interviews followed by a half-day analysis workshop. Learn more: Usability Testing with IT Security Managers for Malwarebytes.
American Water — Utility Portal UX Testing
Prototype UX testing and a 1-day workshop to improve the experience of customers investigating a high bill or a water leak. Learn more: Prototype Usability Testing of Billing & Leak Scenarios for American Water.
Thryv — Testing Small Business Software
Small-scale usability study for this NASDAQ-traded software company whose products include the Yellow Pages. Tested their flagship B2B software with 6 small business customers. Facilitated an analysis and ideation workshop. Learn more: Software Usability Testing with Small Business Customers for Thryv.
Accountability Framework — User Testing
User experience testing of a nonprofit digital platform that helps global companies like Nestlé and McDonald’s achieve ethical supply chains — followed by a 1-day analysis workshop. Learn more: Usability Testing of a Platform Supporting Ethical Supply Chains.
GEICO — Iterative Usability Testing
Over 100 usability testing projects to support GEICO’s digital experience division. Work spanning a wide range of customer-facing products and internal systems — many with 1-day analysis workshops. Learn more: A Year in the Life of an Enterprise User Research Program.
PBS — Prototype Testing with Kids & Parents
Wireframe UX testing with 12 pairs of parents and young children. Part of a mixed-methods study to inform the design of a new user experience flow. Facilitated a remote workshop with project stakeholders to analyze and act on user research. Learn more: Prototype UX Testing with Kids & Parents for PBS.
Thales — Concept Testing of Enterprise Software
8 concept and UX testing studies for this $18 billion multinational selling to enterprise markets. Recruited and interviewed buyers and users of enterprise security software. Designed and led workshops to observe and analyze the research as a team. Learn more: Helping Thales Test Enterprise Security Concepts with B2B Decision-Makers.
NIH — Qual & Quant UX Testing
Usability testing for a large NIH study on building trust to increase Black and Latinx participation in medical trials. Moderated 4 rounds of qualitative user testing on prototypes, with iterative design improvements throughout. Plus large-scale quantitative UX testing.
“I thought the interview set-up, organization, and deliverables were all fantastic!”
Our Process for Usability Projects
While we customize each project, most of our usability projects follow this 5-step approach.
Plan
We get up to speed and align on your project goals, audiences and KPIs.
Report
We deliver a summary report with all findings, solution ideas and research artifacts.
Workshop
We facilitate a remote workshop to analyze, align, and act on the research.
Recruit
We conduct a rigorous recruiting and screening process to find representative users.
Research
We moderate 1:1 usability sessions, and sometimes supplement this with quantitative research.
“Great insights based on convincing user data. Loved the process and outcomes, despite the brutality of hearing some of the feedback.”
The Key Step: Analysis Workshops
Most usability consulting firms work in a black box: they disappear to conduct testing and analysis and return with a big report. This “expert report” approach fails to drive team alignment and action. What does work? Our “team sport” approach: watch users directly, then analyze and act on the data — all in a 1-day remote workshop.
1. Observe UX Testing
The morning: Watch full usability research sessions with your team. Capture findings like a user researcher.
2. Align on Problems
Early afternoon: Go through a series of collaborative steps to analyze findings and reach consensus on your top UX problems.
3. Generate Solutions
Late afternoon: Break into small groups to brainstorm, sketch, combine and critique ideas. Rank the most promising solutions.
“The most productive workshop I’ve ever attended. The facilitators, participation and action plan made this an extremely effective day.”
Why “Team Sport” Beats an Expert Report
Seeing is believing
Watching users struggle has a huge motivating impact on designers, developers and stakeholders. But a few clips in a report doesn’t cut it. Watching full sessions throughout a morning does.
Alignment is really hard
Watching users and analyzing data together has a magical power: it builds a shared, objective understanding about the biggest problems worth solving. This saves you a ton down the road by reducing rework, delays and failed launches.
You are the experts
We see it over and over … your team’s solutions beat a UX consultant’s ideas. But only if you watch users in depth and go through a rigorous analysis and ideation process. That’s the biggest value we bring — not our solution ideas.
Data to deadlines in a day
We know how hard it is to turn research into changes that launch. That’s why our workshops don’t end until every top solution has a next step, an owner, and a deadline. Going from messy data to clear next steps in 1 day builds excitement and momentum.
“We fundamentally changed the site structure because of this day.”
Helping Teams Across the U.S. & Beyond
Within the U.S., we have usability clients or team members in these cities:
Eastern U.S.
- New York City
- Washington DC
- Philadelphia
- Boston
- Detroit
- Atlanta
- Miami
- Orlando
- Charlotte
- Raleigh/Durham
- Charlottesville
Central U.S.
- Chicago
- Minneapolis
- Milwaukee
- Austin
- Dallas
- Houston
Mountain U.S.
- Denver
- Boulder
- Phoenix
- Salt Lake City
Pacific U.S.
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- San Jose
- San Diego
- Las Vegas
- Portland
- Seattle
“The facilitation was great. Awesome to think about problems this way.”