Fun Bits: Web Design Findings

I must confess I love watching usability testing. When there are a few hours of usability video sessions available for me to watch, I go get some popcorn and watch 'em all.

The real value of these videos is actually watching the users interact with pages that we've designed. The things we see and the things we hear are so incredibly insightful, illuminating, and unpredictable. So empowering.

Luckily we have a company that facilitates the "interview" process. Not sure i'd be so quick on my feet with those questions -- definitely a learned skill. But i certainly LOVE being on the other end and able to watch and see what engages the users and why.

Most users are incredibly forthcoming with WHY they like or don't like a web page. And, sometimes they offer-up insightful suggestions. One user dropped this perl of wisdom, "We don't click on things we're not looking for." Ha! Brilliant.

Jakob Niesen says "It only takes five users to uncover 80% of high-level usability problems". He's right. It's that simple.

So go and watch your next batch of user testing videos and learn. It's the best way to get a finger on the pulse of your users without any analysis or distortion. The findings are a great way to identify problems and help informed decisions.