Teletext Usability Evaluation

Yogesh Ravi Zul

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Outline

• About Teletext• Objectives of Study• Methodology Used

– Goal Directed Design and Personas– Usability Goal Setting– Heuristic Evaluation– User Testing

• Observations and Results• Redesign Recommendations• Conclusion• Q & A

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About Teletext

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What is Teletext?

• TV based service• News and

Information on demand– Flight Status– Lottery Results– Soccer News– Stock Updates– Classifieds

• Free of charge

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How Teletext Works

• Input: Remote Control• Each page has

3-digit code• 4 colour-coded

buttons for quick access

• Other buttons: – Hold – Text / TV Mix – Enlarge– Page Up-Down

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Teletext: Past and Present• Invented in UK in 1974• Launched in Singapore

in 1983 as SBC Text– Very limited information– Available only during

normal transmission hours

• Today, available on 3 channels

– Extensive information coverage

– 24-hours access

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Teletext: Useless or Unusable?

• Think again…• Accessed by 22 million a week• Quick information for everybody

– TV is everywhere– No set-up, no technical expertise– No subscription or phone charges– Compare getting information from Internet vs.

Teletext e.g. Soccer news

Malaysia USA Spain India

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Objectives of Study

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Objectives

• Establish reasons behind underutilization of this inherently powerful information medium

• Identify key usability problems related to software and hardware

• Improve Teletext design and enhance the user experience

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Methodology

– Goal Directed Design and Personas– Usability Goal Setting– Heuristic Evaluation– User Testing

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Goal Directed Design and PersonasExtracted from Contextual Inquiry

Steven Tang, 40, is a university lecturer and a soccer fan who loves watching the EPL with his two boys, specially matches involving his favourite team Arsenal. Steven is a busy man but before leaving for university each morning, he makes it a point to check the latest soccer results on Teletext for matches that he could not watch, especially those that were played at early morning hours.

Steven also uses Teletext for latest news that he can use for his class discussion. He finds Teletext useful as it saves him time and effort to boot up his computer.

Steven’s Goals:• Get latest soccer news with minimum hassles• Find at least two interesting news items to stimulate a lively student discussion each day

Steven Tang Soccer Lover

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Usability Goal Setting

Used as benchmarks for user testing and redesign

Quantitative usability goals:a) Communicating how Teletext works: 1 minute (new user) b) Checking soccer match results and scores: 2-3 minutes (regular user)c) Checking performance of scrips in portfolio: 2-3 minutes (regular user)d) Checking Lottery results: Display results within a single level

(no drill-downs)

Qualitative usability goals:a) Selection vs. data entry b) Provide cross-links to related content / pagesc) Show instructions upfront and in simple language, no jargond) Provide guidance about stock market investmente) Maintain presentation consistency with newspapers and other media as

for lottery resultsf) Allow business user to compare data in order to make a decision

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Heuristic EvaluationHeuristic Evaluation was conducted using Jakob Nielsen’s 10 Heuristics

The Process:• The 3 project members acted as ‘Usability Evaluators’

• Usage scenarios were created based on user profiles

• The evaluators walked through Teletext service using scenarios

• Heuristic violations were identified and noted

• Usability problems were compiled and severity was assigned to each problem

• Redesign solutions were generated

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The 10 Heuristics

1. Visibility of system status 2. Match between system and the real world 3. User control and freedom 4. Consistency and standards 5. Error prevention 6. Recognition rather than recall 7. Flexibility and efficiency of use 8. Aesthetic and minimalist design 9. Helping users recognize, diagnose, and

recover from errors 10. Help and documentation

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User Testing

• Usage Scenarios created based on literature review, contextual inquiry

Business User

Description of User

You are a businessman who runs a hand phone shop. You have heard that a lot of teens use Teletext to find latest offers on ring tones, screensavers as well as for mobile based games.

MotivationsYou want to try out this inexpensive advertising platform to place your new mobile plans and ring-tone offers on Teletext.

Language proficiency

Low-medium. May not understand uncommon English words

Teletext proficiency

1. Occasional user of new share IPOs, flight information, etc.2. Frequent user of Lottery results, sports news, etc.

Scenario:

Placing an Ad on Teletext

1. Get the best and cheapest advertising deal for showcasing your products 2. Know the best sections on Teletext to place your ads

3. You want to study various advertising plans, compare them and choose the one that gives you most exposure within a budget of $100-$200 per month

4. You do not have a credit card and want to know available payment modes

5. Since you do not have any sources for doing artwork of the advertisement, you want to know if you can send your company logo and mobile plans to Teletext office and whether they can handle the remaining artwork.

6. Find out how you can track the response to your ad

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Results and Observations- Heuristic Violations

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1. Visibility of system status

No visual feedback about current location

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2. Match Between System and the Real World

Inconsistent colour coding

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3. User control and freedom

No control over page selection

Remember Steven is in a hurry !

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3. User control and freedom

“Two” much control !

? ?

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4. Consistency and Standards

Inconsistent shortcuts

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5. Error Prevention

Access to non-existent pages not blocked e.g. 799

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6. Recognition Rather than Recall

Topics hidden under categories

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7. Flexibility and Efficiency of Use

No dedicated sub pages: Delay and lack of quick, repeat access

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8. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design

Poor quality images, unnecessary graphics, and poor text contrast

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9. Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, and Recover from Errors

No Back or Return function

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10. Help and Documentation

No help or user manual visible on index page

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Results and Observations- User Testing

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1. System model vs. Mental model• If this is page 100, where are the first 99

pages?

• ‘Information’…what kind of information?

• Are ‘Movies’ under ‘Entertainment’ or ‘Leisure’?

. How do I know that different channels have different Teletext Content?

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2. Wrong Visual Mapping

Many new users thought coloured text

and Teletext buttons were mapped

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3. Negative transfer of knowledgeDifferent remotes - No standard design

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4. Ambiguity causing delay and errors

Stock exchange grouping scheme

Find SMRT !

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5. Subjective Satisfaction and Credibility

Cheap quality and arbitrary interface design not only

affected likeability but seriously impacted credibility

and future brand loyalty

“ I don’t think I can trust this info ” !

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Redesign Recommendations

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Short term and Long term

Short Term:

Can be carried out fast and within the constraints of the existing Teletext platform.

Medium to Long term:

Although ideal to overcome all major usability problems, these may require substantial changes to the current Teletext display, and navigation protocol. Some standardization of TV remote controls is also assumed.

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1. Color Enhancement

Light b/g colour and dark text. No arbitrary colours

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2. Standardized Bottom Bar Placeholders

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3. Audio Feedback and Loading Bar

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4. Visual Feedback to Orient Users

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5. Home Page Redesign

• Clear mental model: Logo and links to other channel Teletext

• User guide presented upfront

• Readability of text

• Topics grouped, easy to scan

• Cursor navigation

• Personalized bottom links

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6. Alerts

Proactive ‘content push’ to minimize

user ‘excise’ (customizable alerts)

Full Results

Alert: 4 D RESULTSMay 15 2005

Close

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Conclusion

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The $50 Treasure Hunt…

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The $50 Treasure Hunt…

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Conclusion

•Teletext is an inherently effective medium for getting information

• By eliminating usability problems related to information architecture (Grouping, Labeling, Navigation, Personalization) and presentation (Colour contrast, visual feedback, good mapping); usability of Teletext can be significantly enhanced

• Some changes are already being witnessed in the form of Digital Teletext in UK, etc.

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Welcome the new era of Teletext !

Thank You