Media: Unixwiz.net on how to be the best Consultant

Steve Friedl's Unixwiz.net Tech Tips gets far from technical with "So you want to be a consultant...?". Whether you are a freelancer, or running a consultancy, or someone that employs either, this piece has something in it about how the relationship should work.

One of his most interesting tips is:

'* Give away some free time, but make it visible
Most honest consultants spend a certain amount of time for customers that's off the clock, and this can be for several reasons. It could be that it's for something you're not strong in (and cannot justify charging full consultant rates), it could be a pet interest of yours where you are willing to give away the time, or it could be that your time on the task was so unproductive that you don't feel right about charging for it. These are all fine reasons.

'But don't do it quietly. ...If the customer doesn't know you did work off the clock, you don't get credit for it It also makes it harder for a customer to object to the time you did bill for, but it's important not to use the nocharge time as a "ploy": the goal is to maximize the customer goodwill, not to maximize the revenue on any given invoice.'

Associated Link: Unixwiz.net: So you want to be a consultant...?

All change at the top for System Concepts
Source: System Concepts Ltd, 3 July 2009
 
Leslie Fountain has been promoted to joint Managing Director of leading usability consultancy System Concepts.

Life in UCD immortalised in fiction: you couldn't make it up
Source: UN, 2 July 2009
 
Sarah Herman's fictitious book on life in a user-centred design company has hit the shelves and The Guardian's book pages...

Interfaces Magazine - Issue 79: The Education Issue
Source: Interaction Group, 1 July 2009
 
The latest issue of Interfaces is now available as a free download from the Interaction Website.

Two new Behavioural research Tools from Noldus
Source: UN, 30 June 2009
 
Tool updates make on-site behavioural data collection easier.

Cell Phones that Listen and Learn
Source: MIT Technology Review, 29 June 2009
 
New software tracks a user's behavior by monitoring everyday sounds.

Top Six Don’ts for Usability Testing
Source: FutureNow Inc., 27 June 2009
 
Six tips for creating quality usability tests to ensure useful feedback from testers.

Usability: ‘Lovely software. But I can’t work it’
Source: FT.com, 26 June 2009
 
In a recent survey by Global Graphics, 77 per cent of office workers estimate they lose up to one hour a week because business software is difficult to use.

And what do you do?
Source: Dexo Design, 25 June 2009
 
How do you describe your job role? Here are the results of a recent 'Preferred UX/UI Title' Poll.

Most Doctors cite Usability as critical to Electronic Health Record Adoption
Source: TMCNet, 24 June 2009
 
It's all about 'meaningful use'.

Glossy monitors look good but can hurt
Source: QUT, 23 June 2009
 
A new advisory cites research which suggests high gloss monitors make users sit awkwardly.