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WebWord Weblog Posting Posting Date: June 19, 2002 Measuring the Value of Usability Engineering (TaskZ) -- "If proof of the value of usability is so desirable, why don't usability engineers spend more time measuring it? Here are seven reasons I have observed why usability engineers don't measure the value of usability efforts, rebuttals to each argument, and suggestions for how to remedy them." (Comments: Kind of reminds me of A Business Case for Usability and Cost Justifying Usability.)
Reader Comments...
A couple more reasons: Usability engineering as practiced is often not valuable at all, even detrimental. Usability engineering is so poorly defined as to be meaningless. No one can demonstrate its value without first defining it in a way where it can be done reliably and measured effectively. Neither reliable methodologies nor effective measures exist. Most usability practitioners are blissfully unaware of the above...
Now this is a step in the right direction. Also point #3 is incorrect. There have been plenty of studies that show that there is a lack of consistency amongst usability experts and that their reviews are neither consistent nor accurate. I think this approach may scare many in the industry, because now it means that they cannot go tearing off into a site and suggesting wholesale changes. It strikes me as a kind of - the greater the volume of work you get from me, the greater the value you have received. Sometimes less is more and a more ROI focused industry will equate into greater respect and importance. Then again these are just my thoughts....
People also should consider the number of hours in a day. The Usability Specialists are often called to perform a great number of tasks and many times publishing a report of a study's outcome isn't a very high priority. Posted by: on June 19, 2002 03:49 PM
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