USABILITY TESTING IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET - LESSONS LEARNED

Usability testing is a relatively new and rapidly developing field. Newcomers to usability testing typically enter the profession with a knowledge of social science research methods and the belief that usability testing is conducted in a lab using thinking aloud techniques to identify usability defects. Our practice of usability testing at Mead Data Central has shown that these core beliefs represent an approach of limited utility in designing products like the LEXIS(R)squareNEXIS(R) research systems. In this paper, we describe our experiences in conducting traditional usability testing and how we used the results of those efforts to develop more effective methods of testing for Mead Data Central's products and customers.