Usability Overview by Craig Tomlin

Usability: An Overview W Craig Tomlin, Certified Usability Analyst www.usefulusability.com [email_address]

What Usability Is
A development approach that includes end-user feedback as part of the software development lifecycle:
wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Usability test: end users try to conduct specific tasks

What Usability Is
“ Usability is an approach to product development that incorporates direct user feedback throughout the development cycle in order to reduce costs and create products and tools that meet user needs.”*
*Source: Usability Professionals Association wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Usability test: end users try to conduct specific tasks

What Usability Is
Usability adds to the bottom line by:
Limiting the need for expensive post-launch “revisions” of software
wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

What Usability Is
Improving user efficiency, which increases conversion

What Usability Is
Reducing the time it takes to learn to use an application

What Usability Is
Reducing the time it takes to learn to use an application
Increasing user satisfaction, which positively impacts brand attitudes

What Usability Isn’t
A Focus Group:
Focus groups are used for eliciting new ideas in a “group think” environment
Focus groups explore ideas in a “group-think” environment wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

A Focus Group:
Focus groups are used for eliciting new ideas in a “group think” environment
Focus groups do not test specific tasks on a “1-on-1” basis, thus are not used for usability testing
Focus groups explore ideas in a “group-think” environment wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

A Survey:
Surveys gather attitudes, beliefs & perceptions

A Survey:
Surveys require large numbers of participants to reduce sampling error

A Survey:
Often, what people say in a survey vs. how they actually behave are quite different

A Survey:
Often, what people say in a survey vs. how they actually behave are quite different
Usability testing typically needs only 5-10 users, because the tasks are being tested, not the users
And actual user behavior is observed, not opinions

Expensive:
Usability can be conducted without an expensive facility, and with a minimum of resources using web-based tools

Expensive:
Time-consuming:
Best results occur with only 5-10 users in a short period of time, each user conducting a 1 or 2 hour test session

Expensive:
Time-consuming:
Best results occur with only 5-10 users in a short period of time, each user conducting a 1 or 2 hour test session
Preliminary results can be observed while testing, and results compiled in days, not weeks

Example – Usable OK, this looks like product categories… TASK: Find an electronic kit for a boy’s birthday wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Example – Usable OK, this looks like product categories… … and these are a few special deals TASK: Find an electronic kit for a boy’s birthday wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Example – Usable OK, this looks like product categories… Science Town, electronic kits must be here CLICK … and these are a few special deals TASK: Find an electronic kit for a boy’s birthday wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Example – Not As Usable Hmmm, where do I start? wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 TASK: Find an electronic kit for a boy’s birthday

Example – Not As Usable Hmmm, where do I start? Are these products? Is this the latest product catalog? wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 TASK: Find an electronic kit for a boy’s birthday

Example – Not As Usable Hmmm, where do I start? Are these products? What’s this? What’s this for? Is this the latest product catalog? wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 TASK: Find an electronic kit for a boy’s birthday

A Cause of Usability Failure
Many usability failures are caused by designing systems that are not in alignment with the user’s “Mental Map” of a task-flow:

A Cause of Usability Failure
Many usability failures are caused by designing systems that are not in alignment with the user’s “Mental Map” of a task-flow:
wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Step 1 – Find product categories Step 2 – Find science kits Step 3 – Find electronic kit for boy

A Cause of Usability Failure wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Step 1 – Find product categories Step 2 – Find science kits Step 3 – Find electronic kit for boy Aligned with Mental Map Not Aligned with Mental Map

Testing at key points of the Software Development Life Cycle improves usability, because of alignment with the user’s Mental Map
Usability Testing in the SDLC wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Time vs. Impact on Design wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Usability’s biggest impact is early in the development process, due to the ability to make changes at minimal resource cost

Time vs. Impact on Design Early Development Production Prototype Impact on Design Time wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Usability’s biggest impact is early in the development process, due to the ability to make changes at minimal resource cost

Time vs. Impact on Design Early Development Production Prototype Impact on Design Time Ability to Make Changes “ Cost” to Make Changes wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Usability’s biggest impact is early in the development process, due to the ability to make changes at minimal resource cost

Usability Benefits
Increasing usability = increasing application value
User-friendly systems are simple, they don’t make users think, so they’re faster & more satisfying, which result in increased:

2 Types of Usability Tests
There are many variations of usability testing, but 2 general types:

Usability Testing Steps
An overview of 1-on-1 usability testing steps:
wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Warning! Get your magnifying glass ready! (And this is just an overview)

Usability Testing Steps
An overview of 1-on-1 usability testing steps:

Summary: Usability Overview
“ Usability is an approach to product development that incorporates direct user feedback throughout the development cycle in order to reduce costs and create products and tools that meet user needs.” (Usability Professional’s Association)

Summary: Usability Overview
“ Usability is an approach to product development that incorporates direct user feedback throughout the development cycle in order to reduce costs and create products and tools that meet user needs.” (Usability Professional’s Association)
Reducing the time it takes to learn how to use a new application
Increasing user satisfaction, which impacts brand attitudes

Appendix: Usability Resources
www.usefulusability.com – My usability web site
www.upassoc.org – Usability Professional’s Association
www.ukupa.org.uk – UPA in the United Kingdom
www.usability.gov – Copious usability information
www.sigchi.org – Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction
www.usabilitynet.org – European Union usability group

Thank You! wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 W Craig Tomlin, Certified Usability Analyst www.usefulusability.com [email_address]

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Usability Overview by Craig Tomlin

by Craig Tomlin on Sep 03, 2009

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Usability Overview by Craig Tomlin — Presentation Transcript