Are Your Customers Using Your Product the Way You Think?
For manufacturers, it’s easy to focus on performance specs, technical capabilities, and product reliability.
But if your customers struggle to use the product or don’t use it the way you expected, none of that matters.
That’s where a usability study comes in.
What is a Usability Study?
A usability study helps you observe how customers actually use your product.
It’s not a survey. It’s not a sales call. It’s a chance to see where your product creates friction or flow.
You might learn:
- What’s confusing during setup
- Which steps are skipped or misunderstood
- Where customers rely on workarounds or call support
- Whether your product is being used differently than you intended
The goal is simple: watch a real user try to do something, and see what gets in their way.
Why It Matters
Products that are hard to use don’t just frustrate customers. They lead to support calls, poor adoption, fewer referrals, and lower reorders.
And often, you don’t see it coming.
Teams assume the product is intuitive because they understand how it works.
But customers don’t have that same context, and their expectations are different.
A usability study brings those blind spots to the surface.
Whether you’re improving an existing product or developing something new, testing usability early helps you avoid releasing a product that underperforms in the field.
It’s one of the smartest ways to catch issues before they turn into lost revenue or trust.
How to Run a Successful Usability Study
You don’t need a lab, a big team, or expensive tools.
You just need a plan and a willingness to observe.
Here’s how to do it well:
1. Start with a Clear Scenario
Begin with a task your customer actually does, something that matters to their experience or success with the product.
This might be:
- Unboxing and assembly
- Installation in the field
- Daily operation
- Performing routine maintenance
The more specific you are, the better.
If you’re testing a product still in development, focus on the critical first-use moments or areas with design tradeoffs. These are often where confusion shows up first.
A focused scenario leads to focused insights.
2. Choose Participants That Reflect Your Real Customers
Testing with engineers, team members, or friends might be convenient, but they’re not your customer.
Choose people who reflect your actual users:
- The installer setting up the system in the field
- The maintenance person responsible for servicing the unit
- The front-line worker who interacts with the product daily
Even a small number of representative users (typically 3 to 5 per group) can uncover critical usability issues early.
If your product serves multiple user types, conduct separate sessions with participants from each intended user group to ensure you capture the full range of needs, capabilities, and use environments.
You’ll learn what’s universal and what needs tailoring.
3. Observe, Don’t Explain
Your job isn’t to guide or correct. It’s to watch how users naturally interact with the product.
Ask them to walk through the task as they normally would.
Let them take their time, make mistakes, or hesitate. That’s where the insights are.
If they ask a question or look confused, resist the urge to jump in.
What feels like a “small misunderstanding” in the moment is often a sign of unclear design or unmet expectations.
Every pause, misstep, or workaround tells you something about what needs to be improved.
4. Look for Patterns, Not Perfection
You’re not looking for statistical proof. You’re looking for clear signs of friction.
If one user fumbles, that’s interesting. If three users fumble in the same spot, you’ve got a problem worth solving.
Don’t worry about building a report full of numbers.
Instead, look for:
- Consistent points of friction
- Misunderstood instructions or labels
- Workarounds that show gaps in the experience
Your goal isn’t to validate the design; it’s to learn where it fails.
5. Share What You Learned
During each study, take notes on key observations: where users get stuck, hesitate, or improvise.
Afterward, review those notes and summarize the patterns.
Create a one-page brief that highlights:
- What tripped people up?
- What could be clarified, simplified, or redesigned?
- What small changes would have the biggest impact?
Use this summary to guide quick fixes now and inform roadmap decisions later.
The goal isn’t just to document. It’s to drive action.
Final Thought
A successful usability study doesn’t just make your product easier to use. It makes it easier to sell, support, and grow.
It’s one of the highest-leverage steps you can take between launch and scale.
I’ve led more than 1,000 individual usability sessions for product teams across manufacturing and healthcare. If you’re thinking about running your first (or your next), I’d be happy to share what works and what to avoid.
Schedule a complimentary call. I’d love to help.
Posted in Improve Product Managers | Tagged Research, Tools, Skills
