No More Ponderous Usability Tests! - video via usabilityworks.org

[Todd Moy]

I haven't had a chance to watch this, but the synopsis from
usabilityworks.org makes this sound appealing--especially to someone
who appreciates lightweight user-centric design methods.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WgxKyuglbT8&v3

<snip>
Robert Barlow-Busch argues that traditional usability testing is too
slow to properly support an iterative approach to product design. He
presents the “design checkpoint†as a complementary activity: an
informal exercise in which 1 designer meets with 1 user for 1 hour
every 1 or 2 weeks. From the “7 Minute Soapbox on User Experienceâ€
in Waterloo, Ontario on June 14/07, in which speakers had exactly 7
minutes to present their ideas.
</snip>

Source:
usabilityworks.org
it's not about my ability, it's about usability.
No More Ponderous Usability Tests!
By Matthew Oliphant on Usability