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The Virtual Fence: Unmet User Requirements Can Cost Billions

February 2nd, 2010

Usability, User Experience Design, User Research

When designing a Web site or application a basic rule is to design with the user in mind.  Or, to quote an old HFI button, “Know thy users for they are not you.”

Easy concept, right?

Sometimes, the people who write the requirements preceding a Web project assume they know what those requirements should be. They rarely  involve the user upfront in the requirements process or solicit any feedback.

This assumption can come at a big cost – both price and reputation.

A recent reminder of the costs associated with lack of user involvement in a development effort was highlighted on CBS’ 60 Minutes — “Watching the Border: The Virtual Fence.”

In this piece, Steve Kroft examined the proposed virtual fence along the border between the United States and Mexico.   Kroft asked Mark Borkowski, Executive Director of the Secure Border Initiative, who is overseeing the Department of Homeland Security’s implementation of the new system, why building the Virtual Fence has been so challenging for the Department of Homeland Security and Boeing (who was awarded the contract).

Borkowski’s Answer:

“… the biggest problem – and you may find this hard to fathom – was that no one at the Department of Homeland Security or the engineers at Boeing bothered to ask the people who would actually be using the surveillance system what they wanted or how they wanted the system to work.”

“What we didn’t do was iterate with them and say, ‘Okay. Well, we heard that you’d like to be able to see what’s going on the border. How about a little of this?’ How about . . . we didn’t do that. And that should have happened.”

Involve your users up front in the requirements process.  Involve them in the development process.  You’ll be happy you did and the investment up front may save you more than you can measure.

Heather Hogue