Best Resources for Usability Testers

Whether you’re looking to deepen your expertise, stay updated with industry trends, or find practical tools to enhance your workflow, the right resources are essential for continuous growth and success.

This guide will introduce you to the best resources available for usability testers, providing you with a curated selection of valuable materials to enhance your skills and knowledge.

Let’s get started!

TL;DR

This is a professional who evaluates software applications to ensure they are intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly.
A usability tester conducts user tests, identifies usability issues, and provides feedback to improve the product.
To excel, leverage resources like books (e.g., “Don’t Make Me Think”), webinars (Userpilot’s “The Ultimate User Onboarding UX Guide”), blogs (Userpilot Blog, Mixed Methods), and podcasts (“UI Breakfast”).
Essential tools for usability testers include Userpilot for user onboarding, Monday.com for project management, and Figma for UX/UI design.
Looking to improve the user experience of your product? Consider Userpilot for its no-code in-app guidance and analytics capabilities. Book a demo today!

What is a usability tester?

A usability tester is a professional who evaluates software applications to ensure they are intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly.

In the SaaS industry, a usability tester conducts user tests, identifies usability issues, and provides feedback to improve the product.

What does a usability tester do?

Usability testers collaborate with product teams to enhance the overall user experience, focusing on ease of use and customer satisfaction.

Their role is crucial for ensuring that SaaS products meet user needs and expectations, leading to higher adoption rates and reduced churn.

Usability tester’s main responsibilities

The usability tester handles various tasks such as:

Identify Usability Issues: Detect and document any problems users encounter.
Develop and Execute Test Plans: Create detailed test plans and scripts tailored to assess specific aspects of the product’s usability.
Collaborate with Cross-Functional Teams: Work closely with designers, developers, and product managers to discuss findings and suggest improvements.
Analyze Test Results: Interpret data from user testing sessions to draw insights and create comprehensive reports for stakeholders.
Recommend Improvements: Based on testing results, propose changes to enhance the user experience.
Ensure Product Usability: Validate that the final product is intuitive, user-friendly, and meets the needs of the target audience.
Stay Updated with Trends: Keep abreast of the latest usability best practices, tools, and industry trends to apply them to testing processes.
Participate in Design and Development: Provide user-centric insights during the design and development phases to ensure a seamless user experience.
Manage Testing Environments: Maintain and update testing tools and environments to ensure they are ready for use during testing sessions.

There are different types of resources available to master usability testing, ranging from blog posts to podcasts.

Whichever way you prefer to learn, there is already a resource tailored for you!

Best books for usability testers

If you are a bookworm, here is our compilation of the best industry books for enriching your usability testing knowledge:

“Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug: A classic in the field of usability, this book offers practical advice on web usability and design. It’s easy to read and provides insights into making websites intuitive and user-friendly.
“The Design of Everyday Things” by Don Norman: This book explores the principles of good design and usability, emphasizing how design can influence user behavior.
“Rocket Surgery Made Easy” by Steve Krug: A follow-up to “Don’t Make Me Think,” this book focuses specifically on usability testing. It provides step-by-step instructions for conducting tests and analyzing results.
“Measuring the User Experience” by Bill Albert and Tom Tullis: This book provides detailed information on various usability metrics and how to measure them. It’s a valuable resource for anyone involved in usability testing and user research.
“User Experience Team of One” by Leah Buley: Perfect for those working in small teams or as solo UX practitioners, this book offers practical advice and tools for conducting effective usability research.

Best webinars for usability testers

Here is a list of the best webinars for usability testers.

Userpilot’s “The Ultimate User Onboarding UX Guide”: Focused on creating engaging and friction-free onboarding processes and engaging users, this webinar covers strategies for improving the UX of onboarding flows.
Nielsen Norman Group’s “Usability Week”: series of webinars covering various usability topics, including user testing methods, UX design principles, and advanced usability techniques.
Interaction Design Foundation’s “Conducting Usability Testing”: This webinar provides a comprehensive overview of usability testing, including how to plan, conduct, and analyze tests. It’s ideal for both beginners and experienced testers looking to refine their skills.
UX Mastery’s “Practical Usability Testing”: A practical guide to usability testing, this webinar covers essential techniques and tools.
MeasuringU’s “Usability Metrics and Benchmarking”: Focuses on the quantitative aspects of usability testing, this webinar teaches how to set benchmarks and analyze user data to make informed design decisions.

Best blogs for usability testers

Here are some blogs written by leading companies to enrich your knowledge of usability testing:

Userpilot Blog: Focused on product growth, Userpilot’s blog offers a wealth of insights into user engagement and usability. It provides practical tips and strategies to improve user experience and drive product adoption.
Mixed Methods: A UX research blog for researchers by researchers, Mixed Methods covers varied perspectives and insights on research methods, UX communities, and careers in user research. It’s a great place for in-depth, varied content on UX research.
UX Tools: This blog shines with its annual survey of design tools, providing detailed comparisons and information about each tool’s functionality and pricing. It’s an excellent resource for learning about interaction design, research and testing, and design techniques.
Smashing Magazine: One of the most comprehensive sources for UX, usability, and design content. It offers detailed guides and articles on various aspects of web design and UX, including accessibility and responsive design.
The QA Lead: This blog provides a wealth of information on software testing, including usability testing. It features contributions from experts in the field and covers topics like test automation, AI in testing, and agile methodologies.

Best podcasts for usability testers

Podcasts are your preferred way of learning. Then grab these top podcasts for usability testers:

UI Breakfast” by Jane Portman: This podcast covers various topics related to user interface design, usability, and product strategy. Each episode features interviews with industry experts who share their insights and experiences.
“The NN/g UX Podcast” by Nielsen Norman Group: Hosted by the experts at Nielsen Norman Group, this podcast covers the latest trends, insights, and best practices in user experience. Episodes include discussions on usability testing, UX design, and user research.
“What is Wrong with UX?” by Laura Klein and Kate Rutter: A humorous take on UX design and usability, this podcast features candid conversations about the challenges and joys of working in the field. The hosts share their experiences and offer practical advice.
“Design Better Podcast” by InVision: Hosted by the team at InVision, this podcast features interviews with design leaders who discuss their approaches to usability, user research, and design thinking.
“The UX Intern” by Wesley Noble: A podcast aimed at aspiring UX professionals, featuring interviews with experienced designers and usability experts. It provides insights into the career paths and daily practices of successful UX practitioners.

Best certifications for usability testers

Pursuing certifications is a strategic way to deepen your knowledge, stay current with industry trends, and demonstrate your expertise to employers.

This list of top certifications will help you build the technical and analytical skills necessary to excel in usability testing and advance in your career.

Certified Usability Analyst (CUA) – Offered by Human Factors International (HFI), this certification focuses on user-centered design and usability evaluation methods.
Certified Professional for Usability and User Experience (CPUX) – Provided by the International Usability and UX Qualification Board (UXQB), this certification covers the fundamentals of UX design and user research.
Usability Testing Certification (UCI Extension) – A program offered by the University of California, Irvine Extension, focusing on the principles of usability testing, including test planning, execution, and reporting.
Nielsen Norman Group UX Certification – Offered by the Nielsen Norman Group, this certification provides comprehensive training in usability testing, user research, and UX design, with a focus on practical skills.
Google UX Design Professional Certificate – This certification from Google offers a comprehensive overview of UX design principles, including usability testing, wireframing, and prototyping.

Best tools for usability testers

Usability testers rely on various tools to evaluate and improve the user experience of digital products. Here are the top 10 tools, each tailored for specific use cases:

Best tool for user onboarding – Userpilot: Userpilot helps create personalized in-app experiences to improve user onboarding and feature adoption without requiring coding skills.
Best tool for project management – Monday.com: Monday.com is a versatile project management tool that helps teams plan, track, and collaborate on usability testing projects efficiently.
Best tool for product management – Jira Software: Jira Software offers robust features for managing and tracking usability testing tasks, user stories, and bug reports.
Best tool for customer experience – Zendesk: Zendesk provides comprehensive customer support and experience tools, making it easier to gather and analyze user feedback.
Best tool for customer success – ClientSuccess: ClientSuccess focuses on managing customer relationships and success, providing insights into user satisfaction and engagement.
Best tool for UX/UI design – Figma: Figma is a powerful design tool that allows for real-time collaboration on wireframes, prototypes, and design elements, essential for usability testing.
Best tool for data analytics – Tableau: Tableau offers advanced data visualization and analytics capabilities, helping usability testers make data-driven decisions based on user interactions.
Best tool for remote usability testing – Lookback: Lookback facilitates remote usability testing with live observation and session recordings, enabling you to see user interactions in real time.
Best tool for heatmaps – Hotjar: Hotjar provides heatmaps, session recordings, and user feedback tools to understand how users interact with your site.
Best tool for task analysis – Optimal Workshop: Optimal Workshop offers a suite of tools for task analysis, tree testing, and card sorting to improve information architecture and user navigation.

Conclusion

Professional growth is a continuous journey, and investing in your development is key to staying competitive in the field.

We hope this guide has equipped you with the tools and knowledge needed to excel in your role.

Looking into tools for usability testers? Userpilot is an all-in-one product platform with engagement features and powerful analytics capabilities. Book a demo to see it in action!

Best Resources for Usability Testers

TL;DR

UX/UI Design and Research Teams Can Use Userpilot to:

What is a usability tester?

What does a usability tester do?

Usability tester’s main responsibilities