When you think of usability testing, you might picture designers or researchers gathering insights about user experience. But here’s the truth: usability testing isn’t just for designers—engineers have a lot to gain too. From catching technical bottlenecks to improving feature performance, usability testing provides engineers with real-world insights that make their work more impactful.
Usability testing is the process of observing how real users interact with a product to uncover friction points and opportunities for improvement. For engineers, it’s a chance to ensure that their technical decisions align with user expectations. In this post, we’ll explore the engineer’s role in usability, how testing supports better development, and ways to integrate it into your workflow.
The Engineer’s Role in Usability
Engineers are often the architects of a product’s functionality, which means their work has a direct impact on the user experience.
How Engineering Decisions Impact UX
- Performance: Slow load times or laggy interactions frustrate users and lead to drop-offs.
- Accessibility: Features that aren’t inclusive limit who can use the product.
- Reliability: Bugs and crashes erode trust and satisfaction.
Common Usability Issues Rooted in Development Choices
- Hidden Errors: Error messages that aren’t visible or actionable.
- Inefficient Workflows: Processes that require users to perform unnecessary steps.
- Non-Intuitive Interactions: Features that don’t behave as users expect.
Engineers who prioritize usability can prevent these issues, creating smoother and more intuitive experiences for users.
How Usability Testing Helps Engineers
Usability testing provides engineers with data and insights that are hard to capture through traditional QA or unit testing.
Identifying Technical Bottlenecks
- Test sessions reveal where performance lags, such as slow load times or inefficient database queries.
- Real-world usage highlights areas where optimization can have the biggest impact.
Validating Features in Real-World Scenarios
- Usability testing ensures that features work as intended, uncovering edge cases that might have been missed during development.
- Example: A search function might perform well in simulated tests but fail to meet user expectations in real-world usage due to query limitations.
Informing Backend Optimization
- Observing users navigate workflows helps engineers understand patterns and anticipate resource-intensive operations.
- Insights from testing can guide backend refinements, such as caching frequently accessed data or streamlining API calls.
Integrating Usability Testing into Development
1. Participate in Testing Sessions
- Join live usability tests to see how users interact with the product firsthand.
- Ask follow-up questions to understand technical pain points better.
2. Use Test Findings to Prioritise Improvements
- Leverage insights from usability tests to identify and fix critical bugs or performance issues.
- Prioritize optimizations that address the most significant user frustrations.
3. Collaborate with Designers and Researchers
- Work closely with the UX team to brainstorm and implement solutions based on test results.
- Share technical insights that can inform future testing or design iterations.
By actively engaging with usability testing, engineers can become key contributors to improving the overall user experience.
Putting It Into Action
Scenario 1: Reducing Page Load Times
A SaaS development team observed during usability testing that users were abandoning workflows due to slow page load times. Engineers identified the bottlenecks in their backend logic and optimized database queries, reducing load times by 50%. The result? Improved user satisfaction and a 20% increase in task completion rates.
Scenario 2: Enhancing Error Messaging
Usability testing revealed that users were confused by vague error messages during form submissions. Engineers collaborated with designers to implement clear, actionable error messages. This simple change reduced support tickets related to form issues by 30%.
Conclusion
Usability testing isn’t just a tool for designers—it’s a powerful resource for engineers, too. By participating in testing and leveraging user insights, engineers can identify technical pain points, validate their solutions, and optimise backend systems for real-world use.