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Subject:
From:
Sarah Ingalls <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Sarah Ingalls <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 12 Oct 2001 15:20:43 -0500
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Ellen Schaefer wrote:

"Web sites are critical communication tools and are of obviously increasing
importance.  Efforts to understand the human interaction with this
communication tool and explore ways to improve its ultimate effectiveness
(usability testing) would, IMHO, very definitely be a form of market
research."

I tend to disagree. While market research is quite a valuable component of
the overall web development process, in my opinion, it does not encompass
usability testing. The inherent differences are where in the methodology
each type of research fits and what needs each type of research seeks to
fulfill.

Market research is excellent for gathering information early on in the
process about how a specific target audience might respond to a
product/tool being developed. Usability testing, on the other hand, should
be used iteratively throughout the design process for design validation
purposes. Furthermore, usability practices should be layered throughout the
entire process to ensure that the design is on the right track. Such is not
the case with market research.

Rather than seeking to find out how your user population will respond to a
concept, such as "allowing a user to choose a future delivery date for her
order," usability tests help answer questions such as:

"How useful is this drop-down menu?"
"Is the task flow appropriate?"
"Should I have used radio buttons for this information?"
"Does this instructional text work?"

With usability testing, the primary question is not "Might a user in our
target audience like this product?" but "Can the user USE this product to
achieve his/her goal?"

Sarah Ingalls
Requirements, Analysis and Design
Hallmark.com
(816) 678-5256
[log in to unmask]
Sarah Ingalls
Requirements, Analysis and Design
Hallmark.com
(816) 678-5256
[log in to unmask]

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