UX/UI Designer how-to

How to Run a Quick Usability Test

Testing with just five users reveals most major problems.

Updated By the Career Education Institute Curriculum Team
Quick answer

Testing with just five users reveals most major problems. In short: define; recruit; ask, then complete the remaining steps below.

Step by step

  1. Define the tasks you want to test.

  2. Recruit five representative users.

  3. Ask users to think aloud as they complete tasks.

  4. Don’t help; take notes on struggles.

  5. Look for patterns across users.

  6. Prioritize fixes and iterate.

Safety reminders for UX/UI designers

  • Protect user research data and consent
  • Design ethically, avoiding deceptive patterns
  • Take screen breaks
  • Use ergonomic setups

UX · UI · Wireframe · Prototype · User flow · Persona: see the full UX/UI designer glossary.

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