Sometimes the biggest usability problems hide in plain sight, and they stay hidden until you watch real users struggle. Everyone on the team thinks the design works brilliantly, stakeholders approve it and developers build it. The interface looks polished and professional, then you watch real users interact with it, and within minutes you spot a flaw that could mislead thousands of people. In our previous post, we explored how user testing turns opinions into evidence—here's what that looks like in practice.
Why Fresh Eyes Matter
The hidden problem: Our client had built a functioning prototype that allowed users to enter a location and see which services were available in that area. The design was carefully created with a clean UI and offered a well-branded experience. It made sense to everyone involved.
After searching for your location, you were shown a visual with one service displaying first. A dropdown then allowed users to switch between the other services. It was a practical solution that let users learn more about each option in detail. Results were shown with percentage indicators and visual metrics that could easily be compared. On first review, it appeared the information was well presented and clearly displayed.
When we watched people use the tool, a pattern emerged immediately. Users expected to see which service was best, not have to compare for themselves. So when they landed on a results page and noticed only one service showing, they assumed this was the best option. Most didn't notice the dropdown to select and review the other services. The design was accidentally telling people that whichever service showed first was the winner.
If the original design had gone live to thousands of users who regularly relied on this information, they would have been making important financial decisions based on a misunderstanding. Not because users weren't paying attention, but because the interface guided them to the wrong conclusion.
The Fix
The solution was simple and quick to implement. Instead of stacking the comparison data below the visual and often-overlooked service dropdown, we showed everything alongside each other, giving users all the information they needed to make an informed decision. No confusion about which service was best and no priority given to any one option.
Had the original design launched and needed fixing post-launch, we could have seen user complaints, additional development costs, and reputational damage. Instead, we got ahead of the issue and implemented the solution before it became a problem.
User testing didn't just validate the design, it revealed a critical flaw that stakeholders, designers, and developers had all missed. That fresh perspective, watching someone use your product for the first time with no prior context or assumptions, is irreplaceable.
This is just one example of problems testing uncovers. But knowing testing works is only half the battle, you need to know when to test. We'll cover that next.
