Usability
Usability is key in this market. The majority of users browse the web looking for something, they do not read every written word. When writing a web based application, usability has to be a paramount concern of the designer.The worst phrase in the software industry is “It’s a training issue”. That is a standard excuse for poorly designed software. ~Alicia Riggs
If your application is too hard to use, your end users will use someone else’s application.
Usability, why and how
Last modified on 2009-09-05 15:48:27 GMT. 2 comments. Top.
User Centered Design
Web applications are written to help people accomplish their objectives more efficiently. Each user has very specific ideas of what they want an application to do for them, and though most designers have excellent goals, but there are times they don’t always mesh with end users’ needs. The most over-used phrase for developers is: “It’s a training issue.” In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The general principal for most users is: “If something is too hard to use, I tend to avoid it.” They have no desire to “train” on a new system. A User Centered Design model is necessary to building quality software. This includes usability testing, in order to determine if the software being built is user friendly. If you want to encourage your staff to become usability aware, you should require that each of them to attend and observe one usability testing session.
By focusing on User Centered Design, we increase adoption rates. Usability can be described by the following: the extent to which the intended user can meet his or her goals using the system being tested.
Pages and features should be either self evident or self explaining. Web pages are scanned, not read, and anything that is not intuitive will go ignored. Users typically focus on the first ‘reasonable’ choice and very few take time to read instructions, preferring to forge ahead and muddle through. There is just no substitute for the experience of watching your customers try their best to navigate a system that you have designed for them. The way subjects actually use your system may reveal bugs that are invisible to you. It also may suggest enhancements that were not obvious during the initial design stages.
A Usability Test should be performed during the beginning stages of development. When done properly, these tests are excellent tools to learn more about how users interact with an application. When done during the design phase, developers can save time and money by identifying usability shortcomings before releasing a new system (or in the early stages of a redesign), when changes can still be made relatively inexpensively. Be prepared, some feedback will be negative, it is not personal even if it is hard to swallow. This should be seen as positive feedback in order to improve the experience for the users.
The following steps are needed to set up a simple questionnaire style usability test:
1 – Define target audience for application.
2 – Find the correct user group with a pre-test questionnaire. The user group should have a broad range of skills. Some of the users should know how the system works, some should be very computer savvy, and some should be computer challenged. There should be approximately 10 to 15 people in the user group. Some usability testing groups offer a reward to testers for their participation in the study. This should be a consideration if it is difficult to get volunteers to participate in the testing group.
3 – Create a set of tasks for the testers to follow.
4 – Create the usability questionnaire, include tasks for testers to follow with corresponding questions.
5 – Write a Post-task questionnaire to be answered without the computer.
6 – Choose a testing screener. Screeners are not there to help the tester use the application but to observe and record actions and reactions silently. Write down any observations, even the gaps. Notice all the sounds and behaviors and comments that might be relevant. Remind the subject to verbalize and be as open with their thinking as possible. Any questions the screener may have should be written down and asked after the testing is completed.
7 – The tester is there to find out what can and can not be done without help, and should be able to find all the answers to their questions in the help files.
8 – Set up the computer in a conference room or office for one tester at a time to walk through the site, trying to follow the task list given, and answer the corresponding questions with no distractions or interruptions.
9 – Send a follow-up thank you note to each user, thanking them for their time and input.
10 – Compile data from pretest, test and follow up questions.
11 – Review data and make updates to the UI as appropriate.
Some of the Questions the Usability Testing should answer:
How do people interact with the system you are testing?
What is difficult or easy for people to do?
What makes sense about it?
What is exciting about it?
What changes would users like to see?
What do they really hate about it?
What additional tools, information, skills, and support will people really need to use your system?
Speed of task completion?
Error rate?
Subjective user satisfaction?
Their demographic background
What are users’ overall reactions?
How do users react to individual screens (characters, layout, sequences and moving between screens)?
Is your terminology and system information (system status, instructions, error messages, etc.) easy for users to understand and act on?
How easy is learning to use the system for your users?
How capable is your system (speed, reliability, and error correction facilities)?
Below is a list of questions that can be added to the survey. These will need to be expounded on and put in the task style of questions. This is by no means a complete list.
1) In the past year I have used this system (never, occasionally, regularly)
2) In the past month I have used this system (Not at all, 1-3 times a month, Once a week, 2-4 times a week, Daily)
3) What tasks do you currently use this system to perform?
4) What features do you use most often?
5) What do you like most about this application?
6) What do you like least?
7) If you were able to make changes to this application, what would you like to change?
Have you used another application that is similar?
a. If yes, please give the name of the product.
b. What features did the other application have that you liked and why?
c. What features did the other application have that you did not like and why?
9) The tasks were easy to follow. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
10) The tasks resembled problems I encounter while working on the system. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
11) I was able to complete the assignment. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
12) While working, I was always able to tell what was going on. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
13) The words and definitions used were familiar. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
14) I felt that I was in control over the task at hand. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
15) I was able to find the buttons and commands that I needed. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
16) I was not worried about making irrevocable mistakes. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
17) This system was efficient to use. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
18) The error messages I encountered were useful. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
19) I was able to find help for my questions. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
20) The help I found was useful. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
21) Overall, I was comfortable working with the system. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
22) I can imagine the problems that this system could solve. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
23) I would want to use this system to solve problems. (Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
24) Rate how easy or difficult it was to run a report. (Very Difficult, Moderately Difficult, Neither Easy or Difficult, Moderatly Easy, Very Easy)
25) What was easiest to do or understand? (If you need more room, write on the back of this page.)
26) What was the hardest to do or understand? (If you need more room, write on the back of this page.)
27) When you were exploring the site, what items or features did you look at? What were your observations about what you saw? (If you need more room, write on the back of this page.)
28) Optional: Please add any additional comments you may have. (If you need more room, write on the back of this page.)
