[Sigia-l] Alternative compensation for usability participants?

[leanne waldal]

i disagree that cash/money is always the "most effective incentive"  
to get someone to come in for a focus group or usability test --  
maybe it's useful in the workplace (though i have had employees who  
were better incented by something other than cash).

products-as-compensation aren't always going to introduce bias. i've  
noticed some participants in some usability studies  aren't as well  
interested if the compensation is money.

it depends on the project.  company-branded products are, in my  
opinion, lousy   compensation though i do know a handful of companies  
who use company-branded tshirts and gadgets as compensation.

the company product can be an excellent incentive if the project is  
to have people who use the products review the company's web site.   
free software or software upgrade is also useful if the thing being  
tested is the current version of the software.  if the target  
audience is people already using the product then they're often  
interested in getting more of the product or product upgrade instead  
of  getting cash.

i've done usability tests where the participants were compensated  
with the bare-minimum "we promise the product will get better based  
on your feedback" and, since the participants use the product daily,  
that was enough.

(personal anecdotes) i've also been a participant for a usability  
study for a piece of software i use regularly and i was happy to do  
it without cash payment if i knew the software would improve (and it  
did).   i've also been in focus groups where i was given the product  
as compensation and i was much happier with that than with cash --  
alcohol, clothes, electronic gadgets, software and software upgrades  
-- particularly if it's a product that isn't yet on the market  
because i'm an early adopter princess.

leanne