News & Publications

Usability in a time of cost-savings

20/03/2009

logo iup This recession is hitting hard and the worst is yet to come. That, in brief, is the tone of the day-to-day reports on the current economic climate.

At the same time, we are swamped with statements made by all sorts of professional organisations and experts: Entrepreneurs and business should not stand still at this time, they should keep developing their business, shouldn't just wait and see, have to identify opportunities, could use the recession to their advantage, should invest in the future, must be creative and innovative...

(Dutch version / French version)

No-one in their right mind will contradict this, but it is a different matter altogether when you can see your orders falling and projects coming to a standstill day after day.

Maybe it's just me - or coincidence - but the companies I visit each day are definitely bearing up. They continue to work hard with lots of motivation to service their customers. They study alternative routes to do business and if possible they are also looking beyond their national borders. Together with us, they look for new possibilities to make their products more user-friendly, because they know that is how they can save on costs.

Human Interface Group has a lot of admiration for these companies and helps them achieve their plans. Many of our customers continue to produce fantastic technological products and we continue to make sure that these innovative products are highly usable and practical gems. The revolutionary new Transics on-board computer and the new user interface for Tein Telecom video surveillance software are some good examples of this.

Over the years, Human Interface Group has also developed considerable expertise in the supply of usability services at an international level. Many of our customers have used our international usability experience for a long time and slowly, local businesses are now also looking across the border to move forwards towards international projects.

We are used to taking the lead and would like to help these businesses with their international ambitions. We have recently anchored our international service in a network of international usability businesses: the International Usability Partners (IUP, www.international-usability-partners.com). Thanks to IUP, we have even more efficient world-wide access to knowledge, facilities and experts allowing us to successfully implement our own expertise wherever.

Let it be clear that we are looking towards the future with you in a positive way and are currently making even more effort to get through these turbulent times. We hope that you share our positive attitude and that like us, you are still there for your clients, day after day.