Essay

A Fundamental Mind Shift for Usability Testing

Jared Spool · Medium (Jared Spool) Free Intermediate

Spool, who has studied usability since the 1970s, reframes testing from a pass-or-fail exam into a habit of regularly watching real people struggle. His rule of thumb, that teams who win watch users a couple of hours every few weeks, is a low bar any founder can hit. Read it to build the habit, not just run one test.

  • Aim to watch users for a couple of hours every few weeks.
  • Treat testing as ongoing learning, not a one-time gate.
  • Regular exposure to real struggle keeps the team honest.
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The question it answers

  1. How do I run a quick usability test on my app when I don't have a budget or a research team?

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