The Best Is the Enemy of the Good

Jakob Nielsen's Usability Engineering is considered by many to be the best guide to user testing. Nielsen understands that developers don't have unlimited budgets or time, so they need to use testing techniques that are quick and cost-effective. As Nielsen puts it, "Unfortunately, it seems that `Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien' (the best is the enemy of the good) to the extent that insisting on using only the best methods may result in using no methods at all." Clearly, some user testing is better than none. The inability to perform every type of user test in an ideal manner should not be used as an excuse to avoid user testing altogether. You shouldn't feel guilty for employing user testing techniques that are less than ideal. This concept is a major theme of this chapter.

TIP

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Some user testing is better than none. Don't feel guilty for using user techniques that are less than ideal.