It’s been over ten years since I started a usability-focused consulting practice. Though the core usability principles persist, there have been several key changes in our approach. One thing I can say for sure – I’m always excited for what’s coming next.

What’s changed?

• I used to be a one-person team: For the first 5 years of my consulting practice, I single-handedly managed the client relationship, planned the test, coordinated the vendors, facilitated the research, and wrote a report after meticulously studying the video tapes (yes, they were actual VHS tapes back in the day). Today, my one-(wo)man team has expanded to include additional facilitators, project managers, and user experience specialists.
• I used to have to rent facilities: Up until 2008, we were dependent upon rental facilities to conduct our tests. My favorite facility in the Twin Cities was outfitted with usability lab equipment, which was helpful to us – but my clients’ experience was less than ideal. Their observation room was bland and without natural light. There were only two video screens, neither of which was particularly comfortable for viewing. But by 2008, EatonGolden had grown, and we needed to expand our office. We all agreed the expansion should include our own usability lab. It was a significant investment, and required quite a lot of explaining to the building owner, but it paid off. Today, we have a beautiful, on-site, state-of-the-art usability lab designed by usability professionals, for usability professionals. We still have to rent facilities when we conduct research outside of the Twin Cities, but it just makes us appreciate the EatonGolden lab even more.
• I used to work slowly: The biggest disadvantage of being a one-person team and renting facilities is that my timelines had to be looonnng. I was always at the mercy of the rental facilities’ availability. My reports took several weeks to write, once the sessions were completed – especially if I was juggling other projects at the same time (which I often did, being reluctant to say “no” to opportunities that came my way). Today, we have exclusive access to our own lab, and our collaborative team often delivers final reports within a week of testing.
• I used to resist testing my own team’s work: When we expanded EatonGolden’s service offering, I questioned whether to test our own sites. I worried that my clients would think I’d “go easy” on a site that had been designed by our team. But after a client practically begged me to facilitate a test of one of our sites, I reluctantly agreed, and quickly discovered that what I had been concerned about was actually an advantage. Because I was intimately familiar with the site, I was even better equipped to write an effective test plan and ad-lib insightful questions on the fly. Additionally, my familiarity with the site enabled me to deliver reports that were even more detailed and actionable because I knew what could be changed, what was dependent on 3rd party systems, etc.

What’s stayed the same?

• We strive to improve, not prove/disprove: When I first began consulting, I was often asked to test a site to prove (or disprove) that it worked. I was never interested in that role – I was always focused on helping my clients take a site from where it was to where it could be. Today, our philosophy remains the same. Whether we are testing a site that EatonGolden designed, or we are testing another company’s work, we focus on identifying ways to improve a site or application. We don’t put our focus on proving or disproving anything.
• We are still focused on actionable recommendations: The three EatonGolden usability facilitators – John Golden, Mahtab Rezai, and myself – didn’t come from a market research background. Instead, we came from the world of hands-on website design. I believe this is the reason we’ve always sought to deliver findings focused on actionable changes that can be implemented immediately, whereas our market researcher peers seemed to focus on delivering a list of issues that needed to be addressed. Knowing what the problems are is only half of the work; it’s the recommendations that make usability consulting effective.
• We still keep it simple: Just as the interactive communications industry has seen trends come and go over the years, so has the field of usability testing. It’s easy to get excited about the latest-greatest technology in eye tracking or time-on-task measurements. But we continue to ask ourselves, “is it valuable? Is it worthwhile? Does the gain justify the additional cost?” Usually, the best solution for our clients is to keep it simple, focus on the opportunities for improvement, and deliver high-quality analysis in the shortest amount of time.

What’s next?

• Mobile devices: Smartphone (36%) and tablet (5%) usage¹ is on the rise – and all industries are adapting. Here at EatonGolden, we’ve been exploring mobile and tablet usability testing. Our aim is to provide the same professional quality experience and deliverables as our traditional PC testing. There is no shortage of interesting challenges, and new testing considerations, for mobile and tablet usability testing. The way the device is used can vary greatly – is it held or resting on a table/lap? Is it rotated for portrait or landscape? Is the user stationery or moving? How far is the screen from the user’s face? Even the fundamental task of recording the usability test presents significant logistical challenges. EatonGolden is exploring several methods of capturing mobile and tablet usability sessions that will yield the same professional level of quality we deliver with traditional website testing.
• Speed of delivery: There are two primary factors that influence the timeline of a usability test: the recruiting, and the report. We are always looking for ways to improve the speed of both, be it developing a “user group” that can be called upon throughout the project lifecycle for user testing, or streamlining analysis and report writing. We work with our clients early in project development to identify project needs and clearly define objectives, so that user research is integrated seamlessly into our timelines.
• “Product” options: Sometimes our clients need comprehensive reports that provide detailed visual examples. In other cases, a bulleted list of findings is sufficient. Our clients sometimes need transcripts and quotes from participants to “build a case” for additional budget, other clients need to validate a few features and prioritize future enhancements. Today, we customize each proposal to reflect project-specific parameters and we’re working on several exciting improvements to our usability “product offering” - stay tuned!

Today, EatonGolden is a full-service user experience consulting firm, but usability will always be at the core of our work. After almost 11 years, I’m proud of what’s changed as well as what’s stayed the same. And I’m excited, as always, to see what comes next.

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1. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Nielsen-Tablets-Are-Money-paidcontent-2037292943.html