Large projects or small, user-centered design can save a lot of time and money. See Watching the Border: The Virtual Fence (or video) Reported by 60 Minutes.
- They didn’t test early and often. Thus, the systems fail in the high heat of AZ and NM.
- They didn’t test in context with users. Thus, failed to know border patrols can’t use desktop UI’s while bouncing through rugged terrain.
- They didn’t ask the border patrol what they’d like from the system. Thus the system ended up tracking things besides people.
- They didn’t small scale test before implementing the full system. Thus the system costs more than anticipated to maintain.
- Boeing – the design vendor on the project – over promised, failed to understand the design context and failed to talk with the user.