Ask Eric: Questions & Answers

Question: I was curious if you have any data on current bill rates for Usability Analysis. In your classes, you went over bill rates for actual participants in testing scenarios, but I'm interested in information on the standard billing rate for my services as an independent contractor, not as a salaried employee. Is there a resource out there that provides that info regionally? Or does HFI monitor the industry for that data?

Eric's response: The Usability Professionals Association does a lovely annual salary survey. I suggest monitoring that for income expectations. As a contractor there is quite a large range of hourly rates. It depends on skill level. It also depends on the resources you bring with you. For example HFI bill rates include a mass of intellectual property, training, certification, management, and quality assurance processes. I would say roughly as a independent contractor you might see rates from $550-1,500 a day in the USA.

January 27, 2011 – submitted by Shawn Kenney of Richfield, OH

Question: In your white paper "Impediments to a Mature UX Practice: and how to avoid them" you state on page 7 that "It's not as though you can evolve (a mature UX practice) organically. One of the mistakes people make is to think that... by doing good work you will somehow create an institutionalized UX team."

This makes sense to me, clearly makes sense to you. However, when trying to convey that point to middle management or executive leadership I feel like the Dunning-Kruger effect kicks in, and the message becomes blocked by what the audience thinks they know about making an institutional change.

Do you know of any documented theories or principals that can be referenced to show that change in culture isn't possible by just one person setting a good example, but that it needs to come from the top through structure and governance?

Eric's response: Actually, one person CAN have an impact on the corporate culture (over time). We can lead by personality and effort. But you can not set up a mature operation with resources and governance without high level support. It is the transition from a UX operation based on craftsmanship, to an operation that is process-driven, which requires a serious champion.