Hi: Testing with a smaller number can yield useful insights and you can reuse other portions of your budget to re-test on what you have found out from a first round of testing. Never understood the need to see the same problem repeat over and over again, when the monies could be better spent prioritizing it, mapping it against a business goal and seeing how/where to fix it.
My question is: Where does the question of statistical significance in usability testing come from? It seems that when we have faced this question from business, its situations where the business: * Is testing for the first time * Knows little about Usability/UX/iterative research * Trying to win an internal battle against another team (yikes!) * Taking the need for larger numbers of participants from other methods like surveys or focus groups (historical) * Dont trust the results from a Usability Test (maturity) * Left testing too late so want to test with larger numbers to cover their behinds (political) * Fill in your own :) Something always scares me a little when we are asked the "statistical significance" question when the same question is not applied to other parts of the business. Perhaps the question comes from a lack of understanding and maturity around what we do? Be pleased to see this question disappear forever! Suggest by identifying where the question is coming from we may all be better in finding ways to better inform/education the business. Thoughts? rgds, Dan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=46278 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
