Experimenting with Usability

1. Microsoft: Experimenting with Usabiliy
Prepared by : Harshavardhan Reddy
Kiran kumar
Neha dube
Nischal
Guided by : Mervin Felix Caleb

2. CASE STUDY
▪ Microsoft Performs meticulous usability research to enhance and develop in
product portfolio in a way that is most beneficial to the customer.Usability
Research is aimed at increasing user comfort by making the product more
intuitive to learn and remember.
▪ Microsoft Usability Group is an important part of this effort. The Group was
conceived in 1988 to integrate user feedback into the design of the
Microsoft development process and thereby into the end products.
▪ The key to the success (high awareness and high sales) of Office 2003
(www.microsoft.com) was that the product was carefully designed and
tested by the Usability Group.In a controlled experiment, one group of
computer users was asked to work with Office 2003.Two other carefully
matched groups worked with the previous versions of office: One with Office
2000 and the other with Office XP.

3. CONTD..
▪ All the three groups rated the products on ease of use ,capabilities ,and the
ability to enhance a computer user’s experience. Office 2003 was rated
significantly better than the previous versions on all factors ,leading to the
introduction of this version.
▪ In the Microsoft experiment, the casual (independent) variable was the
Office suite, which was manipulated to have three levels: 2000,XP and
2003.The effect (dependent) variables were ease of use, capabilities ,and
the ability to enhance a computer user’s experience.
▪ The influence of other variables, such as user expertise and experience
with Microsoft Office ,had to be controlled. Although the preceding example
distinguished casual research from other types of research , casual research
should not be viewed in isolation.Rather, the exploratory, descriptive, and
casual design often complement each other.

4. PROBLEM
4
▪ In the Microsoft experiment, the casual (independent) variable was the
office suite, which was manipulated to have three levels : 2000, XP &
2003.
▪ The effect (dependent) variables were ease of use, capabilities & the
ability to enhance a computer User’s experience. The influence of other
variables , such as User expertise & experience with Microsoft Office,
had to be controlled.

5. SOLUTION
The key to the success High awareness & high sales of Ms office 2003.
Longstanding commitment & leadership in developing innovative
accessibility solutions.
Making the computer easier to see, here, &use by building accessibility
in to Microsoft product and service.
Ms office 2003 was the product was carefully designed and tested by
the Usability Group.
As in User’s experience with Office 2003 was rated significantly better
than the previous versions on all factors.
5

6. CONCLUSION
 It has adopted “performance culture Model” as best approach.
 Growth Pyramid as best approach.
 Microsoft had helped a lot of
• people in many ways by introducing.
• Products useful to mankind.
 I made this presentation Using Microsoft Power Point.

7. Reference:
1. Marketing Research an Applied Orientation
- by Naresh k Malhotra
PRENTICE HALL OF INDIA , Private Ltd.

8. THANKS!
Any questions?
8