Argues that traditional usability testing is too slow and expensive to properly support an iterative approach to design. Presents the "design checkpoint" as a complement: an informal exercise in which 1 designer meets with 1 user for 1 hour every 1 or 2 weeks. From the "7 Minute Soapbox on User Experience" in Waterloo, Ontario on June 14/07.

1. Robert Barlow-Busch, Terapath Inc. email bbb@terapath.net blog www.chopsticker.com An agile alternative to the ponderous usability test Photo by belgianchocolate on Flickr

2. Usability is not a science: 9 teams, 310 problems, 75% reported once. Photo by Hey Paul on Flickr See Rolf Molich’s CUE studies at http://www.dialogdesign.dk/cue.html

3. Design & development need more frequent course corrections Photo by Monkeyc.net on Flickr

4. The Design Checkpoint : One designer, one user, one hour. Photo credit missing from Flickr. Help! rinse & repeat every 1 to 2 weeks

5. Discovery checkpoints for identifying requirements, testing assumptions, understanding customers Photo by Jason Cartwright on Flickr

6. Exploration checkpoints for testing alternatives and digging into specific questions Photo by Petteri Sumlonen on Flickr

7. Validation checkpoints for finding the showstoppers Photo by mondopiccolo on Flickr

8. Keep it simple, do frequent checkpoints, and you’ll stay on course. Photo by gadjoboy on Flickr