A small usability test with three to five people is enough to find the problems that most people hit. You watch someone use the app while they think aloud. This script covers the intro, the tasks and the notes. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes per person.
Copy-paste script
BEFORE (2 min) - read aloud
"Thanks for helping. We're testing the app, not you. Nothing you do is wrong.
Please think aloud: say what you're looking at, what you expect, and what confuses you.
I won't help during the tasks, because I want to see what happens without help.
You can stop at any time. [If recording: I'd like to record the screen and voice. Is that OK?]"
WARM-UP (2 min)
- What apps do you use for [the problem your app solves]?
TASKS (read one at a time, give the scenario, not the button names)
Task 1: [Scenario, e.g. "You just bought coffee for 3.50. Record it."]
Success: [what done looks like]
Task 2: [..]
Task 3: [..]
Task 4: [..]
AFTER (5 min)
- What was easiest? What was hardest?
- Did anything surprise you?
- How would you describe this app to a friend?
- Anything you expected to find and didn't?
OBSERVATION NOTES (one row per task)
Task | Done? (yes / with help / no) | Time | Where they hesitated | Quote | Severity
Example (invented)
Task 1: "You just bought a coffee for 3.50. Record it."
Success: entry visible in the list with the right amount.
Notes: Done with help. Looked for a plus button on the Stats tab for ~20 s.
Quote: "Where do I even start?"
How to run it
- Pick 3 to 5 people who resemble your users, not friends who know the app already.
- Give a scenario, not instructions. "Record a coffee" tests whether people find the way; "tap Add" tests nothing.
- Stay quiet. If they ask "Should I tap here?", answer "What would you do if I weren't here?"
- Note, do not fix, during the session. Write what happened; interpret afterwards.
- Look for repeats. One person stumbling is a signal; the same stumble from several people is a priority.
How to adapt it
- Keep to three or four tasks; more tires people out.
- Choose tasks from your first-run and most important flows.
- Remote test: ask for screen sharing, or have the person record their screen. Get consent first and say what you do with the recording. This is not legal advice.
- Rate severity simply: blocked / slowed down / small annoyance.
Related: tester task list, device matrix, and the hub mobile app testing checklists.
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