Portable usability laboratory

Usability laboratories have seemingly become a prerequisite for any organisation claiming a legitimate user-centred design philosophy. They stand to represent a tangible investment in usability, are perfect for guided tours for senior management or prospective clients, and often serve as the focal point for the human factors group, whose role is often misunderstood. The original purpose of the usability laboratory however, should not be overlooked. For an organisation with a development process incorporating user­-centred design techniques, it is a means of formally evaluating a product or prototype in order to assess its 'usability' with a number of prospective users, before costly investment in a misguided development effort.