Usability Testing Metrics and How to Use Them

"Usability testing should always be part of product development. Ideally, it is conducted before release, but in practice it can be useful at different stages. It's worth pointing out that, "testing" isn't a goal in itself. Without knowing exactly what you want to measure, you risk ending up with feedback you can't interpret or act on. Every usability study can focus on a different aspect of the experience, and the right metrics depend on your research goals."

"Task Success Rate is the most widely used and arguably the most important usability testing metric. It's a simple yes-or-no measure: were participants able to complete the task or not? Most product teams often set a benchmark for this metric, such as requiring at least 80% of participants to succeed before a feature is considered ready for launch. In our example, the task is: "Find a product you like and add it to your wishlist.""

Usability testing belongs in product development at various stages and requires clear measurement goals to produce actionable insights. Testing must target specific research objectives to avoid ambiguous or uninterpretable feedback. Different usability studies should measure distinct aspects of the experience using appropriate metrics. Common metrics include task success rate, which captures completion, and time on task, which captures efficiency. Set benchmarks for critical tasks (for example, 80% success) and use realistic tasks and participants to evaluate features like adding items to a wishlist. Interpreting metrics depends on product complexity and task criticality.

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