The buzz and the reality
In recent years, usability engineering has become a buzzword attached to everything from websites to lawnmowers. This important new science has in many instances been dramatically misrepresented by pseudo-practitioners who claim to have such expertise but often do not. As a result, many corporations and government agencies that retained such experts often found the experience unsatisfying and the promises of creating significantly more usable products and services illusive.
However, when the bonafied usability engineering experts are retained and rigorous, scientifically-based methods are applied, there is literally no better discipline for creating truly "usable" products and services.
Only properly educated individuals who hold either undergraduate or graduate degrees in human factors engineering or ergonomics can provide reliable professional usability engineering services. Individuals who offer usability engineering expertise that are more "art" based, as is quite common in web development firms, do not have the expertise to address the most important cognitive aspects of creating usable products and services. The first step in determining the benefits of professional usability engineering is to know what to ask and where to look for such expertise.
There are many professional organizations and special interest groups that represent or cover usability engineering. However, many of these organizations do not have any formal review and guidelines for membership. For example, the Usability Professionals' Association (UPA) has virtually no qualification requirements. Even though some firms listed on the UPA site have proper credentials, many do not. On the other hand, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society has a rigorous set of standards and qualifications for membership. All of the full members of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society have the proper educational background. The International Ergonomics Society also has a rigorous set of standards. Other professional societies such as IDSA, AIGA, and ACM, have special interest groups that do not require verification of expertise or educational background. See the Resources section for links to important sites.
When obtaining usability engineering expertise from either a headhunter or a placement firm, it is absolutely essential that each candidate have a formal degree in human factors or ergonomics. In a recent search for staff, more than 90% of the resumes received for the position of "professional usability engineer," did not have baseline educational expertise. Backgrounds ranged from art school to computer science. The message: Do not compromise.
Now for the bad news: There are very few well-qualified experts. A somewhat surprising statistic is that over 50% of the memberships of the Human Factors & Ergonomics Society are employed in the defense industry. This leaves only a few thousand key professionals available. If you employ one, treat him or her well. If you are looking for one, wait until you can get the real thing.
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