One way to gather feedback about your work directly from your target users is by conducting a usability study.

As a reminder, a usability study (usability testing) ****is a research method that assesses how easy it is for participants to complete core tasks in a design.

There are two types of usability studies that you can conduct:

1. Moderated usability studies
   • have a person, known as a moderator, guide participants through the study in real time.
   • allow for rapport building between the moderator and participant, which can help the participant open up and share more feedback about the design.
   • work best when you want to dig into the details because you can ask follow-up questions throughout the session to learn more.

• Build rapport. Moderated usability studies allow for rapport building between the moderator and participant, which can help the participant open up and share more feedback about the design. Building rapport is especially important if the design being tested deals with sensitive or personal issues. In addition, speaking live can make it easier for the researcher to understand the users’ backgrounds and empathize with their needs.

• Observe firsthand. Feedback and learnings can be more impactful when you see participants interacting with your prototype or product firsthand, instead of watching a recording or reading about the results. You can also bring in stakeholders to observe the study, either remotely or in an observation room, to get the same high-touch interaction with real users.

• Self-identification. If participants do not connect or identify with the moderator, they might have a hard time being open about their experience using the product, especially if the subject matter is personal or sensitive.

• Participant pool. Since a human moderates each session live, most moderated usability studies happen during standard working hours. Some populations are hard to reach during standard working hours, and therefore could be underrepresented in your study findings.