Usability Testing - The Tester's Role

Jim Hobart, Classic System Solutions, Inc.

NOVEMBER DINNER MEETING
Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Studies have shown that over 60% of all software projects overrun their estimates.  The top four reasons are all related to usability.

Support calls typically cost $35 to $70 per call. These are almost exclusively usability issues.

In spite of all this, QA professionals and Testers spend very little time on Usability Issues.

Why?

To answer this question, TASSQ is bringing in Jim Hobart, one of the world's leading experts in Usability.  Jim is not only one of the most knowledgeable people in the field; he is also a great presenter.

Jim will speak about why usability is important, and what disasters can befall projects.  He will demonstrate the cost benefit of doing proper usability.

Jim will lay out how testers and QA professionals can successfully implement proper processes and techniques to improve the usability of the products they are testing.  He will specifically look at Usability Testing, what is it and what it is not, when one does it and how one does it.  He also will look at the traps and pitfalls commonly encountered.

Jim will not only share his personal experiences, but will also provide the audience with practical tips on how to be more effective. For example Jim will show how to identify critical usability issues and differentiate them from non-critical issues and how to present usability issues so they will be fixed and not ignored.

James Hobart is an internationally recognized User Interface design consultant and president of Classic System Solutions, Inc.  He specializes in the design and development of large-scale, high-volume, user interface design.  He is an expert in GUI design for transaction processing systems and web and portal application strategies.

Mr. Hobart has over twenty years of software development experience and over sixteen years of user interface design experience.  He has successfully managed and participated in numerous software projects, as well as advised a number of Fortune 1000 firms on their technology direction.  He has helped a large number of firms develop in-house GUI standards and software user interface designs.  He has assisted in the design and implementation of systems for the Finance, Transportation, Retail, Insurance, Public Utilities, Government, Distribution, Medical, Manufacturing and Software development tool sectors.

Additionally, he has successfully utilized Agile techniques with clients and has assisted with their adoption of user centered design techniques.  He has worked with a wide array of development tools using distributed object and web-based technology.

Mr. Hobart served on the advisory board for the International Windows Summit, and has served as GUI Track Chairman for Window World/Comdex and Software Development conferences.  He also speaks on the public seminar track for Digital Consulting (DCI).  He speaks regularly about user interface design topics and topics at national conferences.  His industry insights are frequently sought by leading publications including PC Week, Information Week, InfoWorld and UNIX Review.

Presentations are on the last Tuesday of the month
at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen Street West, across from New City Hall

If taking the subway, exit at Osgoode station (Queen and University), walk one block east along Queen to York.

If driving, you can park at New City Hall, which is accessible underground to the Sheraton Centre.