“but i’m not a usability expert”: testing tips for the resource- sharing professional uta...
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“But I’m Not a Usability Expert”: Testing Tips for the Resource-Sharing Professional
Uta Hussong-ChristianJane Nichols
Jennifer Ward
September 15, 2011
overview
• What > Jane• How-to > Jennifer• Applying > Uta• Q & A
what is usability?
User Centered
Photocopy?
Docline?
what is usability?
• Usability refers to how well your users can learn and use your web site
• And, refers to the methods you can use to evaluate your site and your user’s experience
Usability Basics Usability.gov http://usability.gov/basics/index.html
5 usability attributes
• Ease of learning• Efficiency• Memorability• Error frequency and severity• Subjective satisfaction
U.S.D.H.H.S. , “Usability Basics”
How quickly can a user who has never seen your site before learn it well enough to accomplish basic tasks?
Ease of learningEfficiency of useMemorabilityError frequency and severitySubjective satisfaction
U.S.D.H.H.S. , “Usability Basics”
How do I request something from ILL?
Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?
Ease of learningEfficiencyMemorabilityError frequency and severitySubjective satisfaction
Nielsen, “Usability 101”U.S.D.H.H.S. , “Usability Basics”
How quickly can I fill out a form?
When your users return to your site after not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency?
Ease of learningEfficiency of useMemorabilityError frequency and severitySubjective satisfaction
Can I get back to ILL forms?
Nielsen, “Usability 101”U.S.D.H.H.S. , “Usability Basics”
How often do users make errors, how serious are the errors, & how easily do they recover?
Ease of learningEfficiency of useMemorabilityError frequency and severitySubjective satisfaction
When going from the openURL resolver to the ILL form, I get lost-badly-how do I get back?
U.S.D.H.H.SU.S.D.H.H.S., “Usability Basics”U.S.D.H.., “Usability Basics
Nielsen, “Usability 101”U.S.D.H.H.S. , “Usability Basics”
How much does the user like using the system?
Ease of learningEfficiency of useMemorabilityError frequency and severitySubjective satisfaction
U.S.D.H.H.S., “Usability Basics”
Fun factor, or at least pleasing
usability and user experience
Usability• “Can the user accomplish
their goal?”• Did they choose the right
form (book, article, etc) for their request?
User experience• “Did the user have as
delightful an experience as possible?”
• Were they able to move from identifying a citation in a database to filling out a request form and go back to the database or their next task with ease?
Mifsud, “The difference between usability and user experience”
more about user experience
Morville, “User Experience Design”
start small and expand
Some rights reserved by jakeandlindsay
how do i…
heuristic evaluation• What
– systematic inspection of a user interface design for usability
• When– any time! Especially useful before you start redesigning/testing with
users
• Why– it’s cheap and easy, with a very high return on investment
• What you’ll get from it– a (page or process) design that’s had a lot of eyes looking at it
intensely for flaws. Guaranteed improvement and therefore a good baseline from which to start testing with users
Nielsen, “Heuristic Evaluation”
10 heuristics
1.Visibility of system status2.Match between system and the real world3.User control and freedom 4.Consistency and 5.Error prevention 6.Recognition rather than recall 7.Flexibility and efficiency of use 8.Aesthetic and minimalist 9.Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors 10.Help and documentation
Nielsen, “10 Usability Heuristics”
Sorry, no online holdings were found for this title.Please see additional options below for finding this title.
task-based usability testing• What:
– involves watching people trying to use something for its intended purpose
• When: – because it’s expensive, usually done at a point when you have a
design/process/architecture that has been created using good design principles and as user-centered as you can make it
• Why: – EVERYTHING should be useful, usable, desirable, valuable, findable,
accessible, and credible
• What you’ll get from it: – a very humbling experience– data that can be used to inform (re)design decisions
Rubin & Chisnell
example usability test workflow1. develop scripts2. develop scenario-based task list3. recruit participants4. conduct tests
o welcome/disclaimer (we're testing the system, not you)o pre-test survey (sometimes)o conduct tasks (somewhere between 7-10, depending on
complexity)o post-task activity (survey, Xs/Os) for participant while
facilitator talks w/ observerso thank you, give the participant an incentive
5. share results (reports, videos, oral briefings, etc.)
Xs/Os
• What: – method that gives the user the power to design in a very low-stakes way
• When: – we tend to use it as part of a usability test session, but it can be done at any
time. Would be easy to take it to the campus union building and get quick feedback.
• Why: – it’s easier for users to tell us what to add/remove/change in response to a
paper protoype than the dreaded “what would you change?” question– it’s fun for the user – they get to use The Red Pen and tell us what to do!
• What you’ll get from it: – a pretty clear indication of what users say they will/won’t use and what they’d
like to see in the design
Xs/Os
“Now I'd like to know more about what specifically you use/don't use or like/dislike about the content on this page.
Instructions:•circle any items on the page that you like and would use the most•cross out any items on the page that you don't like and don't use•add any items that are not on the page that you would like to have there for your own use”
applying usability
got data, now what?
• Convey findings• Decide on/implement changes• Sit back and relax RETEST
“The first few iterations can probably be expected to result in major gains in usability as the true "usability catastrophes" are found and fixed.”
Jakob Nielsen, “Iterative user-interface design”
convey findings
• Keep notes– Who tested– Usability task– Completion rate– Observations
• Summarize finding– Show video if available
decide on/implement changes
• Prioritize problems to fix– head slappers– cheap hits– severity vs. priority
• Figure out how to fix them– test subjects may supply this
Clark, “Issue Priority and SeverityKrug, Don’t Make Me Think”
“The important things that you learn from usability testing usually just make sense.” They tend to be obvious to anyone who watches the sessions.”
- Steve Krug, Don’t Make Me Think
testing
• 3 undergrads / 3 grads & faculty• 50% task completion rate overall
– Find copy of article for reading due tomorrow• Hoped they would use “check catalog” link
– Find copy of article needed for grant due in several weeks
• Hoped they would use “submit a request” link
“…tempted to just choose first option instead of going to sentence below.”
“…put them side by side.”
as the user sees it!“No online full text…”
line is loud and clear. It just says to me that it is not available at OSU.”
“Don’t use too many words. I don’t need to
read so much.”
the bottom line
Difficult web forms/processes result in:• Lost research productivity• Lost study time• Lost staff time • “Image” problem
?
references & resourcesClark, P. (n.d.). Issue priority and severity. Retrieved from
http://www.stickyminds.com/sitewide.asp?Function=FEATUREDCOLUMN&ObjectId=10119&ObjectType=ARTCOL&btntopic=artcol
Gaffney, M. (2009). Reflecting usability engineering goals in interlibrary loan user interfaces. Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve, 19, 291-298. doi: 10.1080/10723030903278366
Krug, S. http://www.sensible.com/ Krug, S. (2000). Don't make me think!: A common sense approach to web usability. Indianapolis, Ind.: Que Corp.Lehman, T., & Nikkel, T. (2008). Making Library Web Sites Usable: a LITA Guide. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Retrieved from
http://www.neal-schuman.com/uploads/pdf/0139-making-library-web-sites-usable--a-lita-guide.pdfMorville, P. http://findability.org/ or http://semanticstudios.com/Morville, P. (2004). User experience design. Retrieved from http://semanticstudios.com/publications/semantics/000029.php Nielsen, J. http://www.useit.com/ Nielsen, J. (2005). 10 Usability Heuristics. Retrieved from http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html
Nielsen, J. (2005). Heuristic Evaluation. Retrieved from http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristicNielsen, J. (1993). Iterative user-interface design. Computer, 26(11), 32-41. doi: 10.1109/2.241424Nielsen, J. (n.d.). Usaibility 101: Introduction to usability. Retrieved from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030825.htmlMifsud, J. (2011). The difference (and relationship) between usability and user experience. Retrieved from
http://usabilitygeek.com/the-difference-between-usability-and-user-experience/Ribeirinho, A. (2007). The User Experience Honeycomb. Retrieved from http://blog.delaranja.com/the-user-experience-honeycomb/Rubin, J., & Chisnell, D. (2008). Handbook of usability testing: How to plan, design, and conduct effective tests. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley
Pub. “start”. Flickr user jakeandlindsay. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakeandlindsay/5524669257/sizes/m/in/photostream/University of Washington Libraries Usability http://www.lib.washington.edu/usability/resources/howtoUsability4lib email list http://www.library.rochester.edu/usability4lib U.S.D.H.H.S. (n.d.). Usability Basics. Retreived from http://www.usability.gov/basics/index.html
