[Sigia-l] Usability Testing

[Will Parker]

On Jan 22, 2007, at 1:01 AM, Donna Maurer wrote:

> I'm a designer. I design things that are usable (and on time, in  
> budget,
> hopefully somewhat pleasurable and meet my client's goals - all good
> quality attributes). I don't need no 'usability people' to give me
> out-of-context, impractical, unfeasible, inexperienced advice based on
> watching a very small number of people doing a leading set of  
> scenarios
> in some sort of learnability test...

I understand where you're coming from with that, but as someone  
coming to design from the tech support and QA testing (not not  
usability testing) fields, I have a different perspective, which is  
grounded on the fact that even the most talented designer is going to  
make some howling mistakes from time to time.

Every project needs an editor (including writing emails, according to  
my wife), and chief usability engineers (whether they have that job  
title or not) fill that role. And editors, no matter what they're  
editing, serve best when editing least -- by questioning assumptions  
and goals and suggesting different outcomes.

As for testing using a small group of subjects, that actually is  
going to make your life easier as a designer -- if it were a large  
group, your design would be transformed into flavorless goo by the  
conflicting evidence from six or eight subgroups. If there's a real  
mistake, a good usability person can sort it out with a small set of  
examples -- just as *you* can and routinely doi, wearing your  
designer's hat.

- Will
Will Parker
wparker at ChannelingDesign.com

"The only people who value your specialist knowledge are the ones who  
already have it." - William Tozier