Usability Testing on a Budget

You don't need a lab or 50 participants. Five users find 85% of usability problems.

The Process

1. Define 5 key tasks ("Sign up", "Find pricing", "Create a project")
2. Recruit 5 people (friends, colleagues, UserTesting.com)
3. Watch them attempt tasks — don't help
4. Note where they hesitate, click wrong things, or express confusion
5. Fix the top 3 issues before next round

What to Ask

"What would you click to do X?" is better than "Do you like this design?" Opinions don't predict behavior. Tasks do.