August 15, 2005
Usability in a small company
I work for a small startup. Our company has a very limited budget for usability work. How can we get started?
You don’t need a lot of cash to make usability an integral part of your process. Remember that Intuit, makers of Quicken, began with the two founders watching Junior League women using early prototypes (you can read more about it and get inspiration from the wonderful book Inside Intuit).
Start by reading everything you can about usability and user-centered design. Check out Expero’s Resources page for Usability Books, Links and Organizations. Figure out creative ways to keep in contact with users to solicit feedback on requirements, design prototypes and finished products. For example, for some early-stage companies, we’ve done discount usability testing at Farmers Markets or helped to test early designs with internal users.
Here’s what you don’t need in your situation: a formal usability lab, video equipment, and recruiting companies that charge a lot of money to recruit and compensate usability study participants (often, users will participate in research for the altruistic purpose of making something they might someday use a better product).
As an early-stage company, you have the advantage of owning and building a culture of usability from the ground up. Getting others in the company inspired and motivated should be one of the most important goals. Include everybody in the process, solicit ideas for getting and keeping in touch with users, and make sure everyone feels a sense of ownership in the process.
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