540-310-0310-2004.ppt

540-310 Human Factors in Information Seeking and Use Wooseob Jeong

Usability Test Assignment (1)
Part I: Select Target Product
Decide your target device. Anything can be your subject: paper manuals, electronic devices, tools, web sites, software, hardware, but the list should not be limited.
Pick one device, and describe what's the thing for: what's the expected function, utility, and advantage? who use it?
200 words – No more than 1 page!
Plus, “informed consent form”
Due on 3/17 (5%)

Usability Test Assignment (2)
Part II: Usability Test & Report
Identify any usability problems by testing at least three subjects, who should be available easily like your room mates or family members.
Before testing, you should carefully develop appropriate tasks. The problems should be addressed in terms of usability perspective, especially time, effort, and error.
Based on your findings, you should suggest any modification for the improvement of usability.
500-1000 words – tables & figures - 15%
Due on 4/7

Logical User-Centered Interactive Design Methodology
Develop product concept
Performance research and needs analysis
Design concepts and key-screen prototype
Do iterative design and refinement
Implement software
Provide rollout support

Three principles of a user-centered design
An early focus on users and tasks.
Empirical measurement of product usage.
Iterative design whereby a product is designed, modified, and tested repeatedly.

User-centered design techniques
Participatory design
Focus group research
Surveys
Design (structured) walk-through
Paper-and-pencil evaluations
Expert evaluations
Usability audit
Usability testing
Field studies
Follow-up studies

Participatory Design
One or more representative users on the design team itself.
Typically used for the development of in-house systems.
The representative users can become too close to the design team.

Focus Group Research
The very early stages of a project in order to evaluate preliminary concepts using representative users.
Simultaneous involvement of more than one participant.
To explore a few people’s judgments and feelings in great depth, and in so doing learn how end users think and feel.
Structured monitoring

Surveys
To understand the preferences of a broad base of users about an existing or potential product.
It can use larger samples to generalize to an entire population.
Any time in the life cycle, but early stages are better.
Languages must be crystal clear and understood in the same way by all readers.

Design (structured) walk-throughs
First developed by IBM
To explore how a user might fare with a product by envisioning the user’s route through an early concept or prototype of the product.
Guide & monitoring

Paper-and-pencil Evaluation
Users are shown an aspect of a product on paper and asked questions about it.
Critical information can be collected quickly and inexpensively.
Ex) Menu system, table of contents in HELP.
Repeated conducts without big expense

Expert Evaluation
A review of a product or system, usually by a usability specialist who has no involvement in the project.
“ Double” specialist (usability and the area) is more effective than a usability expert.

Usability Audit/Testing
Usability Audit
Comparing the design of a product against checklists of standards.
Usability Testing
Employs an iterative cycle of tests intended to expose usability deficiencies and gradually shape or mold the product in question.

Field Study
Review of a product that has been placed in its natural setting, such as an office or home, just prior to release.
Advantage: the exposure of the product to actual working conditions
Disadvantage: the loss of control over the data collection – minimize the effectiveness by “let us know what you think”

Follow-up Studies
Conducted after formal release of a product
Collect data for the next release, using surveys, interviews, and observations.
Unfortunately, rare!

Goals of Usability Testing (1)
Of course, to ensure the creation of products that:
Are easy to learn and to use
Are satisfying to use
Provide utility and functionality that are highly valued by the target population
Specifically, …

Goals of Usability Testing (2)
Creating a historical record of usability benchmarks for future releases.
Minimizing the cost of service and hotline calls.
Increasing sales and the probability of repeat sales.
Acquiring a competitive edge since usability has become a market separator for products.
Minimizing risk.

Five Usability Attributes (1)
Learnability
The system should be easy to learn so that the user can rapidly start getting some work done with the system.
Efficiency
The system should be efficient to use, so that once the user has learned the system, a high level of productivity is possible.
Memorability
The system should be easy to remember, so that the casual user is able to return to the system after some period of not having used it, without having to learn everything all over again.

Five Usability Attributes (2)
Errors
The system should have a low error rate, so that users make few errors during the use of the system, and so that if they do make errors they can easily recover from them. Further, catastrophic errors must not occur.
Satisfaction
The system should be pleasant to use, so that users are subjectively satisfied when using it; they like it.

Limitations of Usability Testing
Testing is always an artificial situation.
Test results do not prove that a product works.
Participants are rarely full representative of the target population.
Testing is not always the best technique to use.

Usability Lab Tours
http://www.sois.uwm.edu/Jeong/540310/usability_tour.htm
In-class demo!
Career Development
Rubin, Jeffrey (1994) Handbook of Usability Testing, Wiley. 0-471-59403-2

Four Types of Usability Tests
Exploratory Test
Preliminary stage; skeleton
Assessment Test
Middle stage; most typical; body
Validation Test
Late stage; verification, just before release
Comparison Test
Different interfaces in the same product; with competitors’ products

Informed Consent Form
Participants should always be treated with respect and should be informed that it is not they who are being tested; rather, it is the software and user interface that are under study.
They should be told about what they will be doing and how long they will be expected to stay.
Participation should always be voluntary, and informed consent should be obtained.

Example of Informed Consent Form
http://www.sois.uwm.edu/jeong/540310/consent.htm
“ I have freely volunteered to participate in this experiment.”
“ I have been informed in advance what my task(s) will be and what procedures will be followed.”
“ I have been given the opportunity to ask questions and have had my questions answered to my satisfaction.”
IRB approval waived in classroom.

Typical Test Routine
Introduction
Make participants comfortable
Pre-questionnaire
Background info like age, sex, experience
Main Test
Talk Aloud
Post-questionnaire
Confirmation of test results
Debriefing
Wrap-up conversation

Task Component and Description
Task
Load paper into the copier.
Machine State
Copier with four labels attached and an empty cassette tray.
Successful Completion Criteria
Test subject loads paper into cassette after first fanning the stack of paper.
Benchmark
Load correctly within one minute.

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