[Sigia-l] Testing your own sites

[Christopher Fahey]

Jacqui Olkin wrote:
> ... I typically use a few different 
> low-cost/high-yield methods, and
> those may be easier to sell than
> lab studies.

Good point -- I agree that having a quick and informal (i.e., non-lab-based)
usability study done by the design team itself is a lot easier to swallow
than a large-scale formal lab study done by the design team. It's a healthy
model, I think.

It's funny how wildly different the two ends of this spectrum seem, at least
to me: Low-fi informal testing done by the design consultant seems, to me,
healthy and honest and worth paying extra for... while major formal lab
testing done by the same design consultant seems highly vulnerable to bias.
Maybe it's because the stakes seem so much higher in the formal testing.


> It could be that the other company's clients were really most 
> concerned about the cost that the lab-based testing and focus 
> groups added to their project budgets. 

I don't know about that. What my firm already does, and what the original
poster's firm apparently will do in the future, is have the lab testing
itself done by a third-party moderator and facility. The designers still
build the prototype and test plan objectives, help in the selection of the
testing firm, advise on the recruitment and screening of test subjects, and
take notes in the sessions. The testing is still part of the project's
overall budget and schedule -- not offering the service in-house doesn't
necessarily mean the service isn't being offered. 

Cheers,
-Cf

Christopher Fahey
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