The document outlines a usability study conducted for the Discovery Interactive exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, focusing on user engagement and barriers preventing completion of an interactive book creation task. Findings revealed that a significant percentage of users did not finish the process due to usability issues, including confusion with selections and interface difficulties. Recommendations include enhancing user feedback, increasing accessibility for younger audiences, and improving the overall interactive experience.

1. Discovery Interactive Usability Study
Ellie Kleinwort | Charlie Koch | Susan Oldham | Ian Wyosnick

2. Our Team
Ellie Kleinwort Charlie Koch Susan Oldham Ian Wyosnick

3. Our Clients
Mark GLeason meka manchak
Exhibits Manager Content Coordinator
The new MOHAI
¡¡ Museum of Science and Industry
¡¡ Opened December 29, 2012
¡¡ South Lake Union location
¡¡ All NEW Exhibits
¡¡ All NEW Interactives

4. Discovery Interactive
MOHAI Goals for Interactive
¡¡ To build community
¡¡ To honor Seattle’s literary history
¡¡ To be fun, imaginative
PurposE
¡¡ Make a book about Seattle
¡¡ Review what visitors learned
from other exhibits
Design of interactive

5. Discovery Interactive Flow
Surprise Me Yes
Pick About the Complete
Introduction Write a Title Synopsis Publish
Cover Art Author Book
Write Myself No

6. our User Research

7. our Research Questions
¡¡ Areusers ending the book publishing
process prematurely?
¡¡ Whatare the barriers preventing users
from publishing their book?

8. our methods
Observed
¡¡ Observation—Identify problem areas
¡¡ Live observation of how museum visitors engage
¡¡ Video taping of interactive without intervention
¡¡ Survey Users— Pilot Survey & Exit Survey
¡¡ Opinion of visitors who used the interactive
Recruited Methods
¡¡ Cognitive Walkthrough/ Talk Aloud
¡¡ Identify usability issues through user’s point of view
¡¡ Time on Task
¡¡ How focused users complete interactive

9. How we Tested
WE Observed Participants
¡¡ Exit Survey
20 participants
¡¡ Video Observation
16 hours, 62 visitors observed
we Recruited Participants
¡¡ Cognitive Walkthrough
5 participants
¡¡ Time on Task
3 participants

10. We thought our audience was...
Adults, mostly parents, 18-55 years old

11. Our audience really is....
11–18
over
under 18
10
18% 63% 21%

12. our findings

13. HOW MANY PUBLISH?
23%
77%
of users did
NOT complete
of users
DID complete
interactive
interactive
14 of 62 users
completed
the interactive
RESEARCH Are users ending the book
QUESTION publishing process prematurely?

14. WHERE are the usability issues?
key issue 41%
secondary issue
engagement issue
32%
27%
23%
18%
16%
14%
7%
1st 2nd Dragging Pick Author Author Surprise Publish
Screen Screen Words Cover Name Blurb Me
RESEARCH What are the barriers preventing
QUESTION users from publishing their book?

15. SURPRISE ME! Book Synopsis Screen
Frequent Errors
¡¡ Unaware of missed selections
¡¡ Unable to revise selections
¡¡ Lack of adequate feedback
¡¡ Unaware of completion
requirement
¡¡ 5of 21 observed users
stopped or restarted
¡¡ 7of 8 of recruited users
“I didn’t realize that one of stated difficulty with screen
the word selections was
not selected.“
“I thought I selected “...hard to pick words in the
every word ‘cause I liked montage. It was hard to know
how every word looked.” why it wasn’t finished.”

16. about the AUTHOR screen
Frequent Errors
¡¡ Typing difficulty
¡¡ Single-touch interface errors
¡¡ 8 of 29 observed users
stopped or restarted
¡¡ 4 of 8 recruited users
stated difficulty with screen
“...writing the blurb “...too much “...awkward typing
about the author was information to and hard to complete
long. The keyboard was complete...” request...”
awkward and I don’t like
talking about myself.”

17. Select title screen
Frequent Errors
¡¡ Unaware of how to submit
¡¡ Tried
to tap instead of
dragging
¡¡ Unaware of scroll-ability
¡¡ 7of 40 observed users
stopped or restarted
“...didn’t find the word “...not clear about selecting
I was looking for...” words and wasn’t sure about
the next step.”

18. OUR Recommendations
MOHAI Archives

19. OUR Recommendations
Author Blurb
¡¡ Allow skipping for shy visitors
¡¡ More responsive typing/touch
Dragging Words
¡¡ Clarify“tape” metaphor
¡¡ Select words by both tap & drag
Surprise Me
¡¡ Add feedback on how to proceed
¡¡ Increase feedback on selected words
¡¡ Provide default for word selections

20. OUR General Recommendations
User Feedback
¡¡ Add feedback on interactive progress
¡¡ Use more responsive or multi-touch interface
¡¡ Allow more time before “still there” prompt appears
¡¡ Add scrolling indicators
Content
¡¡ Adjust content for 10-18 year-old demographic
¡¡ Succinctly explain interactive instructions
¡¡ Decrease interactive length
Environment
¡¡ Investigatemethods to increase exhibit engagement
¡¡ Add exhibit signage

21. Thank you!
Ellie, Charlie, Susan & Ian
Questions?