MIS41020 - Greenberg, S. & Buxton, B. (2008) Usability Evaluation Considered Harmful (Some of the Time)

Reading Two

Module - Design,Development and Creativity

Class or Article - Article

Lesson or Name - Greenberg, S. & Buxton, B. (2008) Usability Evaluation Considered Harmful (Some of the Time)

Additional Info -  111-120

The Process

My Learnings

Firstly understanding the question or objective of the article is imperative and I can find it harmful to read an article and take it at face value, not considering the authors perspective on the topic.

I find in principle what the article is debating is that there is a right and wrong time and a place for evaluation of a human interaction with a service,product or system. I would go further to say any design, creative or innovative process where there is an element of questioning the status quo, being original and seeking the unknown, poorly timed intervention looking for substantiated results and feedback will disturb this process nullifying the desired outcome. The timing also of the evaluation is important as too early in the process and you could quash ideation and development,leaving good marketing impacting and applicable ideas behind, too late and it may be a possibility that an idea has been developed beyond its benefit to the user or marketplace, key learnings have been missed.

Firstly the timing of evaluation is essential to ensuring you don't impact the process or nullify ideas too early in their development or ideation stage. But also to get it right to help evaluate and substantiate the design, benefits to the user and its productivity.

Secondly the type of evaluation needs to be correct in its application and it is central to the success of the evaluation that the question you are trying to answer is clear. There is also room left for the evaluation to uncover hidden elements or feedback that was unknown or at the least unexpected that could bare vital information and feedback critical to the development of the product, service or system.

I feel the application of a design brief constructed of the problem statement, desired outcome (Value in its answers as to not impact open feedback) along with the addition of why you are doing the evaluation. I feed the addition of the why statement will ensure that the evaluation researchers do not lose sight of the end point and can ensure that the right research methods are used in the correct manner delivering an honest, positive or negative result. Honest feedback will ensure that the project team have the right information to make informed and educated decisions and the research is not used incorrectly to just answer a desired outcome.

I may add that the focus on the outcome either positive or negative pre evaluation needs to be met with an open mind either answer delivered at the right time can save a company money and time. If positive then the company know that they are on to a winner, if negative then the company can make a decision at a point in time saving further investment into an product, service or system that users do not want nor need.