Re: ROI of different usability methods

Not to be too flippant, but it is a Friday.

1) Selecting usability methods with respect to ROI.

You are not going to find any data - or anything you should believe, to
answer this question.  Certainly not anything that can be considered
credible research data (too many confounding variables).  The method is far
less important than the people conducting the testing.  There's just not
enough objective data available in any "usability study" for it to be
otherwise.  You can, however, find some credible people with some data to
support this position. Look up the CUE studies for example.  And it also
depends on how bad the design is to start with.  User-based tests are always
far more valuable than a non-user-based tests, but it's a waste of money to
do a user-based test on a design with glaring issues.  You get a far better
ROI on a lousy design if you have someone good do a non-user based
evaluation.

(Of course, my answer is assuming you're not asking for differences at this
level and not between task-based and non-task based, or think aloud versus
performance based, or within versus between subject, or anything like that.)

2) What kind of usability services are most demanded by customers?

User-based tests.  For many reasons including but not limited to their
actual value over non-user-based testing to generate good results.

Credible Source: My consulting firm and every consulting firm I know.  

Bill  
-------------------------------------------------------
Bill Killam, MA CHFP
President, User-Centered Design, Inc.
20548 Deerwatch Place
Ashburn, VA 20147
email: [email protected]
Work/Fax: (703) 729-0998
Mobile: (703) 626-6318
Web: www.user-centereddesign.com


-----Original Message-----
From: ACM SIGCHI WWW Human Factors (Open Discussion)
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Devika Ganapathy
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 6:51 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: ROI of different usability methods

Hi - I'm looking for data on these topics:

1) Selecting usability methods with respect to ROI. (Which methods result in
the highest ROI?)
2) What kind of usability services are most demanded by customers?

Please point me to related reports or information from credible sources.

Regards
Devika



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