Formal usability testing has been branded as being lengthy and quite expensive. It is known to require a lab setting with complex monitoring technology and a facilitator who is a usability specialist. Although this approach is highly effective in uncovering usability issues, most projects do not have the budget to support it.
For more information on usability best practices and how they can be factored into the development process, refer to these Info-Tech Advisor research notes:
Usability Testing Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank
Usability benefits can be gained without going to the full extent of formal usability testing – some testing is better than no testing. In the interest of time and cost, usability testing can be executed on a much smaller scale and still have a considerable effect on the quality of the application being developed. The reason is that the underlying usability principles are still applied – unbiased evaluation of the application.
