An overview of usability and user experience. Aimed at not-for-profits.

1. Usability, User Experience
and the
Internet in the 21st Century

2. A little about me

3. Hi! My name is Max
this is Som Tum (papaya salad)

4. I am an independent user experience consultant

5. I am passionate about football (soccer to some)

6. I was born in a land called Burma

7. © irrawaddy.org
© drea
mstime
.com
My dream... © guardian.co.uk
is to one day start up a school in Burma

8. More about my thoughts and learnings
www.maxsoe.com

9. More about my thoughts and learnings
www.maxsoe.com
now... let’s talk about usability

10. What is usability?

11. Usability eliminates confusion in a person’s thought process

13. Eliminate confusion with

14. Eliminate confusion with
• effectiveness

15. Eliminate confusion with
• effectiveness
• learnability

16. Eliminate confusion with
• effectiveness
• learnability
• efficiency

17. Eliminate confusion with
• effectiveness
• learnability
• efficiency
• memorability

18. Eliminate confusion with
• effectiveness
• learnability
• efficiency
• memorability
• error prevention

19. Eliminate confusion with
• effectiveness
• learnability
• efficiency
• memorability
• error prevention
• satisfaction

20. #1 rule: Don’t MAKE me think

21. Remember: Eliminate confusion in a person’s thought process

23. Eliminate confusion such as:

24. Eliminate confusion such as:
• “Why is it called _____?”

25. Eliminate confusion such as:
• “Why is it called _____?”
• “I thought _____ meant something else”

26. Eliminate confusion such as:
• “Why is it called _____?”
• “I thought _____ meant something else”
• “Can I click on it?” / “Should I click on it?”

27. Eliminate confusion such as:
• “Why is it called _____?”
• “I thought _____ meant something else”
• “Can I click on it?” / “Should I click on it?”
• If something is not a link, DO NOT underline it

28. Eliminate confusion such as:
• “Why is it called _____?”
• “I thought _____ meant something else”
• “Can I click on it?” / “Should I click on it?”
• If something is not a link, DO NOT underline it
• “Where am I? What do I do now? Where do I go?

29. Eliminate confusion such as:
• “Why is it called _____?”
• “I thought _____ meant something else”
• “Can I click on it?” / “Should I click on it?”
• If something is not a link, DO NOT underline it
• “Where am I? What do I do now? Where do I go?
• “Where did they put _____?”

30. What is usability? What is usability not?
What is user Common mistakes on
experience? the web
How do people use When to factor
the internet? usability into a project
Why is usability and How do we go about
experience design doing usability?
important?

31. What is user experience (UX)?

32. What is user experience design?

33. Designing experiences for people

35. usable

36. useful
usable

37. useful
usable desirable

38. useful
usable desirable
accessible

39. useful
usable desirable
accessible
credible

40. useful
usable desirable
findable accessible
credible

41. useful
usable desirable
valuable
findable accessible
credible

43. These factors must be combined for success

44. What is usability? What is usability not?
What is user Common mistakes on
experience? the web
How do people When to factor
use the internet? usability into a project
Why is usability and How do we go about
experience design doing usability?
important?

45. How do people use the Internet?

46. The Internet is a digital medium

48. It is not:

49. It is not:
• a brochure

50. It is not:
• a brochure
• a videoclip

51. It is not:
• a brochure
• a videoclip
• and definitely not a book

53. • We quickly look for anything that resembles what we’re
looking for that is clickable or interactive

54. • We quickly look for anything that resembles what we’re
looking for that is clickable or interactive
• Too hard to find » Back button & start again

55. • We quickly look for anything that resembles what we’re
looking for that is clickable or interactive
• Too hard to find » Back button & start again
• Pages aren’t “read”, they’re “scanned”

56. • We quickly look for anything that resembles what we’re
looking for that is clickable or interactive
• Too hard to find » Back button & start again
• Pages aren’t “read”, they’re “scanned”
• Optimal choices aren’t made. People “satisfice”

57. Why is it important to know how people use the
Internet?

58. We must design things where people “get it”

60. Why?

61. Why?
• better chance they find what they’re looking for

62. Why?
• better chance they find what they’re looking for
• better chance they understand the full range on offer

63. Why?
• better chance they find what they’re looking for
• better chance they understand the full range on offer
• better chance to guide them towards the correct path

64. Why?
• better chance they find what they’re looking for
• better chance they understand the full range on offer
• better chance to guide them towards the correct path
• They feel smarter and more in control, which
will bring them back to you

65. They will love you

66. What is usability? What is usability not?
What is user Common mistakes on
experience? the web
How do people use When to factor
the internet? usability into a project
Why is usability How do we go about
and experience doing usability?
design important?

67. Why is usability and experience design important?
Why should you care?

68. It is necessary for success

70. • Too difficult » people leave

71. • Too difficult » people leave
• Lost » people leave

72. • Too difficult » people leave
• Lost » people leave
• Too hard to read » people leave

74. • Don’t understand what to do next » people leave

75. • Don’t understand what to do next » people leave
• Too much to do » people leave

76. • Don’t understand what to do next » people leave
• Too much to do » people leave
• overwhelming information » people leave

78. • If they cannot find the action to join, they cannot join

79. • If they cannot find the action to join, they cannot join
• If they don’t know how to join, they cannot join

80. • If they cannot find the action to join, they cannot join
• If they don’t know how to join, they cannot join
• Prices? If they cannot find it, they will not buy

81. What is usability
What is usability?
not?
What is user Common mistakes on
experience? the web
How do people use When to factor
the internet? usability into a project
Why is usability and How do we go about
experience design doing usability?
important?

82. What is usability NOT?

84. • not pretty colours

85. • not pretty colours
• not a creativity killer

86. • not pretty colours
• not a creativity killer
• not about focus groups

87. • not pretty colours
• not a creativity killer
• not about focus groups
• not about customer satisfaction surveys

88. Usability isn’t there to show you’re correct, you use it to
become correct

89. What is usability? What is usability not?
What is user Common mistakes
experience? on the web
How do people use When to factor
the internet? usability into a project
Why is usability and How do we go about
experience design doing usability?
important?

90. (Ten) Common mistakes on the web

91. One person doesn’t know what your websites is
A
about within four seconds

95. Two
Misuse of images and multimedia

99. Three
Forcing sign-in to browse

101. Four
Page elements that look like advertising

102. © xkcd.com

104. • Banner blindness

105. • Banner blindness
• Animation avoidance

106. • Banner blindness
• Animation avoidance
• Pop-up purges

107. Five
Bad search

108. © useit.com

109. Six
Using PDFs for online reading

112. • Font sizes

113. • Font sizes
• Accessibility issues

114. • Font sizes
• Accessibility issues
• Difficult for search engines (especially for images)

115. • Font sizes
• Accessibility issues
• Difficult for search engines (especially for images)
• Download times

116. Seven
Not utilising technology properly

117. Think of a search engine (Google, Yahoo, Bing) as a
person using your page

118. Eight
Misusing Flash

120. • Do not use Flash for navigation

121. • Do not use Flash for navigation
• Do not use Flash to make a full site

122. Max, why do you hate Flash so much?

124. When is it alright to use Flash?

125. When is it alright to use Flash?
• Online games

126. When is it alright to use Flash?
• Online games
• Interactive, real-time infographics

127. Nine
Lack of contact information

128. Ten
Not listening to experts

129. What is usability? What is usability not?
What is user Common mistakes on
experience? the web
How do people use When to factor
the internet? usability into a project
Why is usability and How do we go about
experience design doing usability?
important?

130. When to factor usability into a project

131. “You can use an eraser on the
drafting table or a sledge hammer
on the construction site” - Frank
Lloyd Wright

133. Usability should come:

134. Usability should come:
• Before the requirements

135. Usability should come:
• Before the requirements
• Before the visual design

136. Usability should come:
• Before the requirements
• Before the visual design
• Before the code

137. Usability should come:
• Before the requirements
• Before the visual design
• Before the code
• Before the mission

138. Usability is key to your strategy & survival. Get in early
with usability

139. What is usability? What is usability not?
What is user Common mistakes on
experience? the web
How do people use When to factor
the internet? usability into a project
Why is usability and How do we go about
experience design doing usability?
important?

140. How do we go about doing usability?

142. Understand what works and what doesn’t:

143. Understand what works and what doesn’t:
• Before starting a new design, test how the old one is doing

144. Understand what works and what doesn’t:
• Before starting a new design, test how the old one is doing
• Test your competitor’s design

146. Understand your audience

147. Understand your audience
• Understand their natural habitat » conduct a field study

148. Understand your audience
• Understand their natural habitat » conduct a field study
• Create prototypes » test them with people

150. Iterate. Keep things agile and organic

151. Iterate. Keep things agile and organic
• You shouldn’t need to (and cannot) be perfect straight
away

152. Iterate. Keep things agile and organic
• You shouldn’t need to (and cannot) be perfect straight
away
• But it must be usable

153. Iterate. Keep things agile and organic
• You shouldn’t need to (and cannot) be perfect straight
away
• But it must be usable
• Revisions will keep you on track with ever changing needs

154. There is no perfection. Perfection is subjective. There is
only change. Adapt

155. To wrap things up...

157. • Usability and user experience design are essential for survival in
the digital age

158. • Usability and user experience design are essential for survival in
the digital age
• Don’t make me think

159. • Usability and user experience design are essential for survival in
the digital age
• Don’t make me think
• People scan and click

160. • Usability and user experience design are essential for survival in
the digital age
• Don’t make me think
• People scan and click
• Not usable » lose out on members

161. • Usability and user experience design are essential for survival in
the digital age
• Don’t make me think
• People scan and click
• Not usable » lose out on members
• Good experience » increases productivity » saves time and
money » people will love you

163. • Start usability as soon as possible

164. • Start usability as soon as possible
• Stay agile. Adapt. Revise

165. • Start usability as soon as possible
• Stay agile. Adapt. Revise
• Don’t try to get everything right at once, perfection is subjective

166. • Start usability as soon as possible
• Stay agile. Adapt. Revise
• Don’t try to get everything right at once, perfection is subjective
• Staying ahead of change will keep you on top

167. And most importantly...

168. Create and design for people

169. Real people, not “users”

170. People with passions

171. People with dreams
© irrawaddy.org
© drea
mstime
.com
© guardian.co.uk

172. The design should adapt to people, not the other
way around

173. Questions?

174. www.maxsoe.com find maxsoe on:
maxsoe@gmail.com
0405 022 546