Often times, designers assume efforts towards creating maximum usability will be costly and complex. However, the opposite is true. User tests can be implemented for all designs without the need of large budgets and massive amount of time. Generally speaking, five users are enough in terms of usability testing. Insights on design dramatically increase with as little as a single test user. Though, single user tests should be avoided as there is a risk of said user providing spurious information due to accidents or lack of representation while engaging with the product. For this reason, multiple users can serve as a form of confirmation. However, as the amount of test users are increased, so will the amount of overlapping insights. Should the trend continue, the insights gained from the usability test will eventually lose their significance due to the repetition. To combat this, it is suggested to split the number of users among multiple studies to narrow the users focus and limit overlapping. As a result of usability testing, new designs can be formulated which in turn will require testing of their own. This process can continue until the fundamental structural issues of the design are addressed and corrected.
Experience, W. L. in R.-B. U. (n.d.). Why you only need to test with 5 users. Nielsen Norman Group. Retrieved March 2, 2020, from https://www.nngroup.com/articles/why-you-only-need-to-test-with-5-users/.
When testing a design, it is often best to perform a variety of tests. Rather than simply perform one test with a single user, it is best to break up the tests. Have multiple users perform your tests, but not too many. At some point, the results will overlap and waste resources. How do designers further apply this information to benefit the site?