No. Here’s Why.
I’ve been in UX for a long time, long enough to remember when we usability tested everything. Fifteen years ago, I ran a usability test on a password reset flow and then spent hours writing a report about why people got stuck trying to change their passwords. (Spoiler: we had made it way too complicated.)
Back then, the internet was still figuring itself out, and it felt like we were leading the charge—or at least keeping the charge accountable. I remember financial companies adding padlock icons onto payment pages to reassure people it was safe to enter their credit card info—because, let’s be real, online shopping still felt like the digital Wild West. I also vividly remember flipping through a printed copy of the Baymard Institute’s eCommerce guidelines (yes, an actual book!) to learn how to properly design address input fields. No shade, though—for anyone getting into UX, I still highly recommend the Baymard Institute’s now very much online courses.
Fast forward to today, and things are very different. Checkout, registration, and password resets are largely solved problems. You don’t need a UX researcher to tell you that having clear error messages is a good idea. You also don’t need a web developer to custom-build every basic interaction. The bar for usability has been raised across the board. This realization led to what some call the “Great UX Reckoning” of 2024, where companies took a hard look at how much money they were throwing at usability testing and asked, Wait… are we actually getting value from this?
That’s led to what I call “The Great UX Wobble of 2025.” Having a bird’s-eye view from working with multiple teams, I’ve seen usability testing shift from a default task to a more strategic decision. In mature teams, research briefs have evolved beyond customer validation checkboxes to focus on bigger, messier, and ultimately more valuable questions.
But if all design challenges seem messy and strategic, does that mean we should be testing everything? Maybe, but probably not. In the early stages of product development, a little bit of educated guessing is crucial. The key is knowing when to validate your hypotheses—because the sooner you can course-correct, the less painful (and expensive) it’ll be down the line.
When Should You Be Usability Testing?
- Before investing too much in development – Testing early concepts and prototypes help determine whether you’re solving the right problem before sinking resources into building the wrong thing.
- When assumptions are being made – If a decision is based on what the team thinks users want rather than real evidence, it’s probably time to test. (Spoiler: users often surprise us.)
- When launching something new or unfamiliar – If a feature, flow, or business model isn’t widely used yet, usability testing can help identify stumbling blocks before they become costly mistakes.
- When metrics aren’t telling the full story – If analytics show drop-offs but don’t explain why, qualitative research can help fill in the gaps.
- When user trust or perception matters – It’s not just about usability; testing ensures customers understand and trust your product (especially crucial for AI-driven experiences, finance, healthcare, or security-sensitive products).
- When expanding to a new audience or market – A product that works well in one context doesn’t always translate seamlessly to another. Testing helps identify cultural, behavioral, and workflow differences before launch.
- Before making a big strategic decision – If a company is pivoting, repositioning, or introducing a new offering, research can help gauge whether the change aligns with customer needs and expectations.
I’ve always believed that if a designer isn’t testing their own designs with customers, they’re more of an artist than a designer. But I also acknowledge that the shift from tactical to strategic research has changed how and when we test. Research today is often more ambiguous and nuanced—it’s about uncovering the insights that impact business decisions, not just fixing UI hiccups.
The Bottom Line
UX research has come a long way from the days of testing button sizes and error messages. While we may not be usability testing everything anymore, research has never been more critical. It’s not just about ensuring usability; it’s about ensuring viability. The best usability testing happens when it’s used to answer the right questions at the right time—not just because we’ve always done it that way.