The UX of DX: user testing in the invisible world of APIs
summary
Argues that UX methods make APIs measurably easier to use and lays out a four-step process: discovery, taxonomy, mocking/prototyping, usability, with the full cycle done in one to two weeks using low‑fidelity techniques. Uses interviews, ethnography, index cards and card sorts to find names and flows, an instant messenger API and paper prototypes to reveal confusing fields (example: Weather Underground units and FCT labels), and Postman/Swagger plus a moderator guide for final tests. Shows a docs shim—new endpoint that maps to the old one—to fix usability without breaking existing clients.
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chapters (10)
- 0:00Introduction to UX for APIs
- 2:11Why API usability matters
- 3:14Discovery phase explained
- 5:00Collaborating with end users
- 8:08Taxonomy and naming in APIs
- 11:25Mocking and prototyping APIs
- 14:58Paper prototypes for APIs
- 16:01Usability testing techniques
- 18:51Fixing existing APIs
- 21:38Q&A and closing remarks
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