Benchmark Study: The Yardstick for User Experience

A Benchmark Study, or Benchmarking, is a method of evaluating a website or product's usability over time. It's the practice of measuring the usability of a product both against itself (if changes have been made over time) and against its competitors.

A Benchmark Study involves identifying key metrics that are important to the usability of a product. These could include task success rates, error rates, time to complete a task, user satisfaction scores, among others. These metrics are then measured and recorded systematically over time.

The purpose of a Benchmark Study is to understand whether changes in a product are improving or worsening its usability. By comparing a product's usability metrics at different stages of its lifecycle, designers can see whether their design changes have had a positive impact.

Moreover, by comparing a product's usability metrics with those of its competitors, companies can understand where they stand in the market. Are they leading in terms of usability, or are they lagging behind? Benchmark Studies help answer these questions.