Trent Mankelow Dave O’Brien Introduction to Usability for Business Analysts

Tonight’s menu About us What is usability? Examples of bad usability Usability definition Usability benefits Usability and the SDLC Usability activities User-testing video Business analysis versus usability

About us

What is usability?

Examples of bad usability

Usability definition

Usability benefits

Usability and the SDLC

Usability activities

User-testing video

Business analysis versus usability

135 clients, 17 industries Retail / Consumer Financial Services Not for profit Telecom / IT Media / Publishing Government Insurance Education

80% of work from 3 industries 80% Government Telecommunications Financial services Retail / Consumer Financial Services Not for profit Telecom / IT Media / Publishing Government Insurance Education

Government

Telecommunications

Financial services

“ 60% of end users find enterprise applications somewhat difficult, very difficult, or almost impossible to use.” - CIO.com, May 2008

What is Usability? “ Usability is the measure of quality of the user experience when interacting with something.” Jakob Nielsen

Applies to all sorts of stuff Web Internet sites Extranet sites Intranet sites Paper prototypes Software Mobile phones IVRs Speech-enabled Touch-tone Office environments Out of the Box Experiences (OOBE) In-car navigation devices Kiosks In-flight entertainment systems Retail store design

Web

Internet sites

Extranet sites

Intranet sites

Paper prototypes

Software

Mobile phones

IVRs

Speech-enabled

Touch-tone

Office environments

Out of the Box Experiences (OOBE)

In-car navigation devices

Kiosks

In-flight entertainment systems

Retail store design

ISO definition of usability Easy to use Useful Satisfying from ISO 9241

Easy to use

Useful

Satisfying

from ISO 9241

Increased user productivity Decreased user errors Decreased training costs Reduced development costs Decreased user support costs Usability benefits Roger Pressman, Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s Approach , McGraw-Hill

Increased user productivity

Decreased user errors

Decreased training costs

Reduced development costs

Decreased user support costs

Usability and the SDLC

Usability and the SDLC

Usability and the SDLC

Usability and the SDLC

Usability and the SDLC

Usability activities Field studies Persona development Information architecture design Interaction design User testing Heuristic review Usability analytics ...

Field studies

Persona development

Information architecture design

Interaction design

User testing

Heuristic review

Usability analytics

...

Field studies

Persona development

Information architecture design

Interaction design

Heuristic review

Usability analytics

http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/usability_resources/surveys/2005_upa_salary_survey.pdf

Business analysis vs. usability

Business analysis vs. usability On a typical project: What are a BA’s main goals? What are a usability specialist’s main goals?

On a typical project:

What are a BA’s main goals?

What are a usability specialist’s main goals?

Business analysis vs. usability Typical BA goals (from a UX perspective :) Meet business goals by: Researching current processes Identifying what the new system should do (requirements) Designing improved processes Typical UX goals Meet business and user goals by: Researching users Identifying how the new system should work (design principles) Designing a UI with the users in mind Evaluating/iterating the design until it works well*

Typical BA goals (from a UX perspective :)

Meet business goals by:

Researching current processes

Identifying what the new system should do (requirements)

Designing improved processes

Typical UX goals

Meet business and user goals by:

Researching users

Identifying how the new system should work (design principles)

Designing a UI with the users in mind

Evaluating/iterating the design until it works well*

A better BA/usability result Beware the ivory tower Secondhand folklore instead of user research Opinion-centered design* Long cycles with little user involvement Different ≠ better WE ARE NOT THE USER!

Beware the ivory tower

Secondhand folklore instead of user research

Opinion-centered design*

Long cycles with little user involvement

Different ≠ better

WE ARE NOT THE USER!

A better BA/usability result Develop use cases and UI in parallel BA, SME: Do skeleton draft of UC. BA, UX: Talk through the main points. UX: Sketch some screen variations. BA, SME: Start filling in the details. BA, UX, SME: Iterate/refine UC and UI UI design often improves the UC itself.

Develop use cases and UI in parallel

BA, SME: Do skeleton draft of UC.

BA, UX: Talk through the main points.

UX: Sketch some screen variations.

BA, SME: Start filling in the details.

BA, UX, SME: Iterate/refine UC and UI

UI design often improves the UC itself.

A better BA/usability result Make use cases visual (where possible)

Make use cases visual (where possible)

A better BA/usability result Leave the text for the details. Not all visuals are clear!

Leave the text for the details.

Not all visuals are clear!

A better BA/usability result Make the UI a visual companion to the UC Signing off a use case without a UI = writing a bad cheque

Make the UI a visual companion to the UC

Signing off a use case without a UI = writing a bad cheque

“ One way or another, you will be tested.” - Bruce Tognazzini

More from Optimal Usability Monthly newsletter – subscribe at optimalusability.com Introduction to User Testing training – August Presenting to your internal teams on usability (FREE!) Trent Mankelow [email_address] Dave O’Brien [email_address]

More from Optimal Usability

Monthly newsletter – subscribe at optimalusability.com

Introduction to User Testing training – August

Presenting to your internal teams on usability (FREE!)

20 staff, 4 offices Auckland, NZ Wellington, NZ Sydney, AU Canberra, AU

The key: early involvement Business Case Development Post- Rollout Time Cost of Changes No. of possible design alternatives

Roles and responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities