Usability Testing and User-Centered Design

USABILITY TESTINGand user-centered design

USER-CENTERED DESIGN: a rhetorically based philosophy of design that considers end users’ needs, wants, and constraints in all stages of the design process.(Wikipedia)

Pssst. If you don’t help me achieve my goals not only effectively but also efficiently, I’ll chew through your power lines.

examples of especially

well-designed products?

I feel like this could probably be more convenient.

(aside from Apple products.)

Usability testing is a way to find out whether the assumptions used in the design process were correct.

To be usable, a product should be… Easy to learn. Easy to remember. Efficient. Satisfying

(enjoyable to use). Error free.

What would be difficult about doing usability testing for software and/or websites?

Types of Usability Tests1. Lab-based testing.

2. Web-based testing.

3. Cognitive walkthrough. (Acting as the user, an evaluator does a set of tasks and records his/her experience.) **this is the type of testing you’ll be doing for this project.

STEPS for a Cognitive Walkthrough Usability Test

Step 1. Choose two products (which have the same purpose) to compare.

Step 2. Identify typical users of the project (level of knowledge, reasons for use, etc.).

Step 3. Decide the tasks that will comprise the test:

at least 10 tasks. not too simple. do things your identified user

would do.

EXAMPLE: What kinds of tasks could a user do with word processing software (e.g. Microsoft Word)?

Step 3 (cont). Consider the following when designing tasks to test products:

Affordances of product. Constraints of product. Ease of use. Aesthetics. Visibility/functionality. Feedback (is product responsive?). Mapping (do you know where you are in a given

process?). Time taken to complete tasks.

Step 4. Decide on equipment and location where you will complete the tasks (must be consistent for both products).

Step 5. Decide on criteria and rating scale.

Rating with LIKERT SCALES

Strongly Agree

Somewhat Agree

Agree Somewhat Disagree

Strongly Disagree

5 4 3 2 1

Example: I was able to do the task with little or minimal consultation with the product’s Help section.

Step 6. Create a data collection form.Task Product 1 Score Product 2 Score

1. Create an Account and Login for the first time.

Usability description(what happened when you did the test)

5 Usability description 2

I was satisfied with the time it took, to do this task.

I was satisfied with the time it took, to do this task.

Step 7. Do the test.

Step 8. Write up the results (white paper).

HOORAY!!!