[Reading] Greenberg: Usability Evaluation Considered Harmful (Some of the Time)

According to Greenberg, Usability Evaluation is being done extensively in HCI(Human Computer Interaction), and is being used a basis for validating the design. He states this is inappropriate when applied to all design systems, since whe in inital stages of design phase the validation will eliminate the novel features and hence make the system not an innovative one, but just a variation of an existing system.

Usability evaluation methodologies are considering the ease-of-use, but not the usefulness of the particular design. Here, Greenberg has cited examples of some of the systems when they were just about invented and were not easy to use, but extremely useful and those would have never gone forward if the usability evaluations had then been applied. Eg. Macroni's wireless radio, first car, and few others. Although he is not showing any cases where usability evaluation was performed and subsequently lead to loss of a novel design idea.

He concludes with how HCI as a community can make usability evaluation a meaningful process, by following few points while designing a system:

"- Using the evaluation only when the stage of UI development demands for it

- Seek other evaluation methods at different stages as appropriate

- Not consider usability evaluation as the main basis to validate

- favour risky hypothesis testing for mainstream systems or modest variations of established ideas

- judge design worthiness by reflective and interactive processes, such as constructive criticism." -Greenberg & Buxton(2008)

Reference:

Saul Greenberg, Bill Buxton. CHI Proceedings 2008. Usability Evaluation Considered Harmful (Some of the Time)