Comments on: Gauging the User Experience: In Defense of Usability Testing http://www.erova.com/blog/index.php/2009/04/23/gauging-the-user-experience-in-defense-of-usability-testing/ a user experience blog by Chris Avore Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:34:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Chris Avore http://www.erova.com/blog/index.php/2009/04/23/gauging-the-user-experience-in-defense-of-usability-testing/comment-page-1/#comment-684 Chris Avore Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:14:46 +0000 http://www.erova.com/blog/?p=190#comment-684 Hi Scott, <br><br>Thanks for chiming in. If only there were guarantees, right? <br><br>I think it's safe to say we as practitioners will try to better our odds wherever possible. <br><br>While I'd never argue usability testing *replaces* strategic design, I think it's a lot more challenging to rely on strategic design alone. Rather, it should be looked at as a useful process within strategic design.<br><br>But like I mentioned in the original post, usability testing is often only as good as the script, the moderator, and the understanding what the software or system should do in the first place. Without those, you could simply be proving a user can successfully complete an irrelevant task. Hi Scott,

Thanks for chiming in. If only there were guarantees, right?

I think it's safe to say we as practitioners will try to better our odds wherever possible.

While I'd never argue usability testing *replaces* strategic design, I think it's a lot more challenging to rely on strategic design alone. Rather, it should be looked at as a useful process within strategic design.

But like I mentioned in the original post, usability testing is often only as good as the script, the moderator, and the understanding what the software or system should do in the first place. Without those, you could simply be proving a user can successfully complete an irrelevant task.

]]> By: Chris Avore http://www.erova.com/blog/index.php/2009/04/23/gauging-the-user-experience-in-defense-of-usability-testing/comment-page-1/#comment-118 Chris Avore Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:14:46 +0000 http://www.erova.com/blog/?p=190#comment-118 Hi Scott, <br><br>Thanks for chiming in. If only there were guarantees, right? <br><br>I think it's safe to say we as practitioners will try to better our odds wherever possible. <br><br>While I'd never argue usability testing *replaces* strategic design, I think it's a lot more challenging to rely on strategic design alone. <br><br>But like I mentioned in the original post, usability testing is often only as good as the script, the moderator, and the understanding what the software or system should do in the first place. Without those, you could simply be proving a user can successfully complete an irrelevant task. Hi Scott,

Thanks for chiming in. If only there were guarantees, right?

I think it's safe to say we as practitioners will try to better our odds wherever possible.

While I'd never argue usability testing *replaces* strategic design, I think it's a lot more challenging to rely on strategic design alone.

But like I mentioned in the original post, usability testing is often only as good as the script, the moderator, and the understanding what the software or system should do in the first place. Without those, you could simply be proving a user can successfully complete an irrelevant task.

]]> By: Scott Johnson http://www.erova.com/blog/index.php/2009/04/23/gauging-the-user-experience-in-defense-of-usability-testing/comment-page-1/#comment-109 Scott Johnson Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:34:53 +0000 http://www.erova.com/blog/?p=190#comment-109 Chris: Great post, and I completely agree with you! While usability testing certainly does not guarantee a great user experience, my experience has been that it greatly improves the odds. I have a great interactive design team and they agree that having real users validate their ideas avoids many problems.<br><br>All the best,<br><br>Scott Johnson, Principal<br>ROCK CREEK STRATEGIC MARKETING<br><a href="http://www.rockcreeksm.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.rockcreeksm.com</a><br><br><a href="mailto:sjohnson@rockcreeksm.com" rel="nofollow">sjohnson@rockcreeksm.com</a><br><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottjohnsonrockcreek" rel="nofollow">http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottjohnsonrockcreek</a><br>Twitter: sjohnson123 Chris: Great post, and I completely agree with you! While usability testing certainly does not guarantee a great user experience, my experience has been that it greatly improves the odds. I have a great interactive design team and they agree that having real users validate their ideas avoids many problems.

All the best,

Scott Johnson, Principal
ROCK CREEK STRATEGIC MARKETING
http://www.rockcreeksm.com

sjohnson@rockcreeksm.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottjohnsonrockcreek
Twitter: sjohnson123

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