Q: How much does it cost to hire a usability consultant, and
     how long does it take to get results?

A: Cost varies widely, but can be very reasonable for mid-level
     consultants with solid skills and experience.

A wide range of consultants offer a wide array of user experience improvement services. Top-tier consultants typically have between 8 to 10 years of hands-on experience, and may be employed with a leading User Experience Design firm (e.g. Nielsen-Norman Group, Cooper Interaction Design). Such individuals often have advanced degrees in Cognitive Science/Psychology or Human-Computer Interaction, and have authored one or more books on the subject. Because of their considerable experience, credentials, client lists, and name recognition, these consultants typically work only with clients willing to invest at least $25K in their user-centered design and user experience improvement efforts.

Mid-range consultants, by comparison, have typically worked in the field for between 3 and 8 years. These individuals, while they may have less experience and name recognition, are usually highly skilled in usability engineering methods. Since they are more willing to serve small and medium-size firms, these consultants typically work with clients that are willing to invest between $3K and $25K on their design and user experience improvement efforts in a given year. Both top-tier and mid-level consultants tend to read extensively, regularly attend conferences and share insights with peers in order to continuously hone their skills.

Entry-level consultants—that is, people that have recently graduated from college, or may have worked in the field for only 1-2 years—may offer more economically-priced user-centered design and user experience improvement services. These specialists, being relatively new to the field, have likely not acquired a significant amount of user-centered design knowledge, nor have many techniques to their "user experience improvement toolbox." Because entry-level usability consultants may not have earned a related degree, or made the commitment to continuously expand their knowledge and techniques, their backgrounds and skill levels can vary widely.

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Mark D. Hall
San Diego, CA, USA
August 8, 2002

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