Getting the whole team into usability testing

Pressure from customers, the trade press, and the competition is causing companies to focus more on delivering usable products. But even when the commitment is there, companies still find it difficult to get their developers to believe in the results of usability tests and to make improvements based on them. The authors report on what Lotus has done to bring developers closer to the process, describing tools, techniques, and concepts to optimize user interfaces. They have found four approaches particularly valuable in getting developers and other members of the product team involved in usability testing: informal setups, sit-in sessions, usability nights, and videotapes. Their experience shows that these methods are more effective than conventional practices, in which developers merely receive reports of key problems from the test sessions.<>