Let's talk

PRODUCT · USABILITY TESTING

Usability testing services

Usability testing services are moderated and remote sessions in which real users try your product while a researcher watches where they get stuck. For a first release or a mature product losing users at one step.

Book a 20-minute call (opens Google Calendar in a new tab)See how we work
Led by Roger GrekosCo-Founder, product

The drawing shows a recorded test session and, under it, which of four tasks five participants completed, with the task most of them failed marked.

This is UX testing with real people from your target audience, not scripted QA testing. We recruit the right participants, run the sessions and turn what we see into a ranked list of fixes for your website, app or prototype.

01SOUND FAMILIAR?

Signs your product needs UX testing

  • SYMPTOM 01

    Our new feature launched and almost nobody uses it

    Usually means: People may not find it, understand it or trust it, and analytics cannot tell you which.

  • SYMPTOM 02

    Our onboarding or checkout loses people at the same step

    Usually means: One screen is failing, and only watching users will show why.

  • SYMPTOM 03

    The team cannot agree which design is clearer

    Usually means: Internal opinions are standing in for evidence from the people who use it.

  • SYMPTOM 04

    Customers keep emailing support to ask how to do basic tasks

    Usually means: The interface does not explain itself, so customers ask instead.

  • SYMPTOM 05

    We are about to redesign and do not know what to keep

    Usually means: Without a baseline test, a redesign can break what already works.

Led by Roger GrekosCo-Founder, product

Know where users drop off but not why? Name the flow, and we will plan sessions to watch real users try it.

Tell us about your project (opens our project form in a new tab)

02WHAT WE DO

What our usability testing services include

Every session is with real people who match your users, not your own team and not a test script.

  • Moderated usability sessions

    A researcher guides each participant through real tasks, in person or over video, and asks follow-up questions when they hesitate. This qualitative user testing shows not only where people struggle but why.

  • Remote unmoderated tests

    Participants complete tasks in their own time while their screen and voice are recorded. It suits simple flows, quick checks between releases and people spread across time zones.

  • Website usability testing

    We test marketing sites, account creation and checkout with people who match your buyers. We check that they can find what they came for and act on it.

  • Prototype and design testing

    We test clickable prototypes before production code is written, so changes happen while they are still cheap to make.

  • Test plans, tasks and questions

    We write the tasks and the screener, and keep questions neutral so they do not lead the participant. Our guide to usability testing questions shows the approach.

  • A ranked list of fixes

    You get the problems we saw, ranked by how often they happened and how badly they hurt the task. Each comes with clips and a suggested fix. For a review of the whole product beyond the tested tasks, we also work as a UX audit company.

Illustration of one test session, marked where the participant got stuck

03IN BRIEF

What user experience testing shows that analytics cannot

User experience testing shows why people struggle, while analytics only shows where. A funnel report can tell you that many visitors leave on the pricing page. Watching a handful of them try that page tells you why: they could not find the monthly price, or did not trust the trial terms. In each session, a participant from your target audience works through real tasks while thinking aloud. We note where they hesitate, misread a label, go back or give up. Patterns across sessions point to specific fixes: a renamed button, a shorter form, a clearer plan comparison, a missing word of reassurance about their data. Because the evidence is on video, the team stops debating opinions and starts fixing what everyone has seen. Analytics then confirms whether the fix moved the number.

When to run usability testing

Run usability testing whenever a decision depends on whether people can use something, and as early as there is something to click. Four moments matter most. Test a prototype before you build, and the finished flow before launch. After launch, test when a metric drops and nobody knows why. Before a redesign, test to learn what already works. Small, frequent rounds beat one large study. Each round tests the fixes from the last, and the team learns to expect evidence before it ships. Findings feed straight into SaaS product design work on the screens that failed. If testing shows that the problem itself is wrong, not just the interface, a product discovery workshop is the better next step. No amount of polish fixes a product aimed at the wrong need.

04STEP BY STEP

How a usability study runs

  1. 01

    Audit

    We agree the goals, the tasks and who should take part, and review your analytics to pick the flows that matter. Then we write the screener and the test script.

  2. 02

    Build

    We recruit participants, run the moderated or remote sessions and share rough findings after each one, so nothing waits for the final report.

  3. 03

    Ship

    We deliver the ranked fixes, the clips and a readout with your team, then retest the changed flows if you want proof the fixes worked.

05ENGAGEMENT OPTIONS

Ways to run a study with us

  • Test plan review

    For teams that run their own tests and want them sharper.

    You get

    • A review of tasks, screener and script
    • Help reading the results
    • Written notes after the session

    Typical shape

    Working sessions as needed

    Quoted after a short call

    Ask for a quote

  • Usability study

    We plan, recruit, run and report a full round of testing.

    You get

    • A test plan and screener
    • Participant recruiting
    • Moderated or remote sessions
    • Ranked fixes with clips

    Typical shape

    One round with 5 to 8 participants

    Quoted after a short call

    Ask for a quote

  • Ongoing testing

    Regular rounds of testing while your team ships changes.

    You get

    • A testing rhythm tied to your releases
    • Retests of fixed flows
    • A running log of issues and fixes

    Typical shape

    One round a month

    Quoted after a short call

    Ask for a quote

06WHO IT IS FOR

Who usability testing is for

Roger Grekos

07LED BY

Who leads the research

Roger Grekos leads user research at BrainStormers and makes sure the findings reach the people who decide what ships.

Nobody reads your screens the way you wrote them. Watching one real person try is how a team stops arguing about it.

Roger GrekosCO-FOUNDER · PRODUCT
Roger Grekos
Co-Founder, Product, Project & Scale
Background
Roger co-founded BrainStormers and has led product for 12+ years across SaaS, fintech, media, gaming and services. At Find.co he led product strategy for a media portfolio whose revenue grew from $22M to $55M in three years; at PayEm he took a procurement platform to $1M ARR in 12 months.
Roger's profileLinkedIn

08

Related services

Testing works best alongside the rest of our product management consulting.

09

Insights on usability testing

10FAQ

Questions about usability testing services

What do usability testing services include?

Usability testing services usually include a test plan, participant recruiting and moderated or remote sessions with real users. Then comes a report of what went wrong and how to fix it. Ours end with a ranked list of fixes, short video clips of the key moments and a readout with your team.

Is usability testing the same as QA testing?

No. QA testing checks that the software works as specified, usually by following scripted test cases. Usability testing checks whether real people can use it to do what they came for. A screen can pass every QA test and still confuse every person who sees it.

How many users do we need for a usability test?

For one flow and one type of user, five participants per round is a common starting point. The guideline traces back to a 1993 study by Nielsen and Landauer, which modelled how each extra participant reveals fewer new problems. Each distinct user group needs its own round, and a retest after fixes catches what the first round hid.

Moderated or remote unmoderated testing: which should we use?

Use moderated testing when you need to understand why people struggle, test complex or early flows, or ask follow-up questions. It is the core of qualitative user testing. Use remote unmoderated testing for simple, well-defined tasks, larger samples or quick checks between releases. Many studies combine the two: moderated first, unmoderated to confirm.

Who recruits the participants, and how?

We do, unless you prefer to supply them. Participants come from your own customer or prospect list, from in-product invitations or from a research panel. Each one passes a short screener so they match your target user. We agree the incentive and the number of people before recruiting starts.

Can you test a prototype before it is built?

Yes, and it is the cheapest time to test. A clickable prototype, even a rough one, is enough to see whether people understand the flow, find the main action and trust what they see. Problems found at this stage are fixed in the design file instead of in code.

What do we receive after the sessions?

You receive a ranked list of problems, each with how often it appeared, how much it hurt the task and a suggested fix. You also get short clips of the key moments and the session notes. Then we run a readout with your team, so designers and engineers see the evidence first-hand.

Led by Roger GrekosCo-Founder, product

Talk to Roger about usability testing

20-minute intro call

Book a 20-minute call (opens Google Calendar in a new tab)Tell us about your project (opens our project form in a new tab)

NEXT STEP

Watch real users

Tell us which flow worries you and who your users are. We will suggest a test plan sized to the question, from a plan review to a full study.

You’ll talk to Roger

Book a 20-minute call (opens Google Calendar in a new tab)Tell us about your project (opens our project form in a new tab)