Location, Location, Location: Challenges of Outsourced Usability Evaluation

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND This position paper presents some of the challenges experienced in relation to an outsourced usability evaluation of commercial collaboration product, which we would like to raise in the Improving the Interplay between Usability Evaluation and User Interface Design workshop. The paper describes the context of the outsourced evaluation, three challenges of location, how the evaluation was carried out and reported. Finally, we outline some of the lessons learned. The product is being developed within a multi-national software product company based in the United States. Typical of this type of company, the product company has a multitude of existing and new products under development in various programs under aggressive time and resource constraints. The company has a strong commitment to being focused on the needs of customers in relation to their products and services. As such, the company has strong human computer interaction (HCI) skills supporting the development of user interfaces that are easy to use. However, the number of these resources is limited in relation to the number of projects and amount of HCI work required. As with many companies throughout the world, this product company is investigating an outsourcing model to support HCI requirements and in particular usability evaluation