Okuzeka
Software Engineering vocabulary · Testing

Usability testing

Meaning in software engineering, with examples

nounCore term

In software engineering, usability testing means: A research method in which real users try to complete tasks with a product or prototype while a researcher watches, to find out where they struggle.

In Turkish: kullanılabilirlik testi, kullanıcı testi

How it is used

Teams run usability tests in person or remotely, moderated or unmoderated, and turn the results into a list of issues ranked by severity. A well-known rule of thumb from Jakob Nielsen says that about five users reveal most of the major problems.

Example sentences

  1. We're running usability testing on the new sign-up flow next Tuesday.

  2. Usability testing showed that four out of five people missed the filter button.

Common collocations

  • run usability testing
  • remote usability testing
  • usability testing session
  • usability test script
  • usabilityHow easily, quickly and successfully people can use a product to complete a task, and how satisfied they feel while doing it.
  • think-aloud protocolA testing technique in which participants say what they are thinking, looking for and feeling while they use a product, so researchers can follow their reasoning.
  • moderated testingUsability testing in which a researcher guides each session live, in person or on a video call, giving tasks, asking questions and observing the participant.
  • task success rateThe percentage of participants who complete a given task correctly in a usability test; one of the simplest and most common usability metrics.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Testing

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: