If it ain't broke, fix it anyway

Ian Horritt and Joseph Brown

This paper examines the increasing use of usability studies to aid the development of new media products and services - predominantly websites - and looks at whether the growing distinction of usability as a discipline in itself is counter-productive to today's requirement to provide more holistic and integrated marketing research services.

If It Ain't Broke Fix It Anyway

Effectively Incorporating Usability Studies Into Market Research Programmes

Joseph BrownandIan HorritNew Media House

Introduction

Historically market research and software usability testing rarely crossed paths. Usability was conducted by the white-coated Human Computer Interaction (HCI) specialists in labs far away from the broader, real(er) world environment of market research.

However, the advent of 'new media' technology, as we are now highly aware, has brought about many new issues. Interactive marketing has brought real time two-way communication between supplier and consumer, empowering the consumer in ways never imagined before. But with consumer...

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