How do I find a usability consultant?

December 30, 2005 12:52 PM

How do I find a usability consultant?

We're in the middle of writing some pretty cool CRM/Project Management software. It's web based, it's ten kinds of awesome, and I've got a bunch of customers drooling over it.

I'm not so hot on some of the usability, and we're trying to make this the most useable application EVER as one of the selling points. We're using all kinds of cool DHTML and Ajax and all that other jazz to make the user's path through the program as smooth as the things -we- love using every day. (We're all mac users or recent switchers.)

But watching my mom struggle with HER new Mac over the holiday has made me a little worried that we're missing the forest for our favorite kind of tree. I need to get an outside UI designer and usability consultant together.

I could go to 37Signals, but, uh, we're kind of going to be in competition with them. Cost is also a consideration ... we're doing this out of operating revenue, and we're not exactly flinging tens of thousands of dollars in cash around. (Although yes, I'm not trying to shmeek some deal on no upfront money and % of revenue or something like that.)

Suggestions on how to find someone who does good web interface and UI consulting work?

posted by SpecialK to computers & internet (6 comments total)

If your target userbase is going to be fairly technologically naive to begin with, perhaps you might consider a simple focus group? You probably want the suggestions of novices, rather than experts.
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:07 PM on December 30, 2005

I'd recommend either Blue Flavor (Seattle) or Clear: Left in England. They both do excellent work.
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 1:07 PM on December 30, 2005

37Signals is no longer a consulting firm. I can think of one company that still is, though. ;)

UPA maintains a directory of consultants. You could also put a job posting up on the IA Insititute job board.

If your target userbase is going to be fairly technologically naive to begin with, perhaps you might consider a simple focus group? You probably want the suggestions of novices, rather than experts.

Suggestions like this one are exactly the reason you need to hire an expert.
posted by jjg at 1:13 PM on December 30, 2005

There are a number of independent usability consultants now since the eBiz crash of the dot com era. Some are more user research-oriented and some are more usability-factors oriented.

First, decide what it is you want to know and at one level you want your data to be. Do you want someone to be able to tell you how many clicks it took the average user to find a certain feature in the software? Do you want eye-tracking data? Do you want feedback on screen clutter and design? Do you want feedback on customers' comfort level in interacting with software versus other tools? Data on how easy it was for a customer to complete the task in your software versus a competitor's product?

Generating a list of questions about the data you want will help you to locate and choose the consultant who will be right for you. Some researchers are better at qualitative data-gathering and some excel at quantitative data-gathering. Many folks sell themselves as great at both, but this isn't always the case. Looking at the reports and results that they were able to generate for other clients is helpful in determining how helpful they will be to you. (They can scrub out information that indentifies the client if client privacy is an issue.)

Anyone can hang the shingle "usability consultant/user researcher" on their door these days. You want someone with a track record. Check in with Mark Hurst over at Creative Good for recommendations.
posted by jeanmari at 1:16 PM on December 30, 2005

You can also get some Universities to take on a project like this for their Master or Ph.D. programs - if it is big enough and long enough. I know that CMU has worked with firms in the past to help them with design and usability, while giving their students real world experience.

If you just need a quick answer, that's probably not the way to go. A design school may be able to give you some leads, however.
posted by qwip at 3:32 PM on December 30, 2005

eWork (Formerly ProSavvy) is a great place to find consultants and firms that are serious about getting your business. (It's expensive to sign up, let's just say, as opposed to RentACoder or some such.)

Posting is free, and so long as you're willing to be reasonable with price, you should be able to find someone very qualified there... Although I'm not sure if they have specific "usability consultant" categories, they're definitely going to have something to fit close to the bill.
posted by disillusioned at 10:33 PM on December 30, 2005