© 2006-2009 K. Bachmann The Usability Buffet by Karen Bachmann Seascape Consulting, Inc.

© 2006-2009 K. Bachmann

The Usability Buffet

by Karen BachmannSeascape Consulting, Inc.

Usability Buffet - 2© 2006-2009 K. Bachmann

Navigating this presentationThis presentation is audience-driven, so it is organized to allow a flexible rather than a linear flow.

Slides 3-13 provide an overview of the user-centered design process and some key activities and deliverables.

Slide 14, The Usability Buffet, serves as a launching point (or table of contents) into detailed discussions. Just clicking the mouse or Enter key will take you to the end of the presentation.Click the topic name to go to that specific topic.

A link back to slide 14 is provided at the end of each detail section.Click the to return to slide 14.

Buffet


Usability defined…ISO 9241-11: “Usability: the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use.”

ISO 13407: "Human-centered design is characterised by: the active involvement of users and a clear understanding of user and task requirements; an appropriate allocation of function between users and technology; the iteration of design solutions; multi-disciplinary design."


Usability defined…UPA: “Usability is an approach to product development that incorporates direct user feedback throughout the development cycle in order to reduce costs and create products and tools that meet user needs. There are many definitions of usability…”

Jakob Nielsen: “Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use. The word ‘usability’ also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process.”


Usability defined…Wikipedia: “Usability is a term used to denote the ease with which people can employ a particular tool or other human-made object in order to achieve a particular goal. Usability can also refer to the methods of measuring usability and the study of the principles behind an object's perceived efficiency or elegance.

In human-computer interaction and computer science, usability usually refers to the elegance and clarity with which the interaction with a computer program or a web site is designed. ”


Usability defined?A process for delivering the quality of usability

A quality of a product

In practical terms,Implement as a processEducate and evaluate as a quality


Usability in the development life cycle

• User research:•Personas and profiles•Task analysis•Environment analysis

• UI design models and prototypes• Usability requirements

• UI functional prototypes• UI specifications: Screen elements, interactions, behaviors

• User interface

Analysis Design Development Testing Maintenance

Usability Testing

• Benchmark testing• Competitive analysis• Heuristic evaluations

• Formative testing• AB testing

• Summative testing


User research: Users“The process of learning about ordinary users by observing them in action” (Hackos and Redish)

Identifies user needs and expectations

Identifies user demographics, background, experience, knowledge, and other characteristics

Does not result in a single profile of an “average” user, but can help develop composites

Requires empathy, not just scientific principles and data gathering techniques

Is subject to change over time


User research: Task analysis“… learning about ordinary users by observing them in action”

Define the way users perform tasks in their own world

Understand the users models for interacting with data and tools to perform their tasks

Focus on users’ processes, not their tools


User research: Environment analysisUnderstand the conditions that users will face when using the end product

Detail the users’ working environment

Identify “noise” in the communication

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Usability requirementsAre the expected and desired user reaction to a system

Define how well a product should work for the intended users

Turn user goals into measurable success criteria

Communicate user expectations to the development team

Help keep users’ needs visible throughout development

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UI designAn iterative, exploratory process for creating a product that meets user needsFirst deliverables that stakeholders are likely to react strongly toSample deliverables: Sketchlets Wireframes Mockups Functional prototypes Interaction specifications Content outlines Site maps

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Usability testingUsability testing is a process where actual users are observed performing real tasks using the product being evaluated by the testing (Barnum; Dumas and Redish).Evaluates the usability of a design against defined success criteriaConducted throughout the life cycle:“test early, test often”Tests the following questions: Does the product meet user needs? Does the product meet user expectations?

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The Usability Buffet

User Research

UCD & YourOrganization

Usability Requirements

Usability TestingUI Design

Surveys


Questions?Contact Karen at [email protected] with “Usability Buffet” in the subject line.


User and task analysis referencesM. Coe, Human Factors for Technical Communicators.

J.T. Hackos and J.C. Redish, User and Task Analysis for Interface Design.

T. Mandel, The Elements of User Interface Design.

J. Nielsen, Usability Engineering.

B. Shneiderman, Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction.


Usability requirements referencesC. Courage, K. Baxter. Understanding Users: A Practical Guide to User Requirements - Methods, Tools, and Techniques.

J. Jubner. “Setting Usability Requirements.” http://www.deltamethod.net/hb_WR5_UsabilityReq.htm

S. Lauesen, H. Younessi. “Six Styles for Usability Requirements.” http://www.itu.dk/~slauesen/Papers/SixStyles.pdf

E. Smith, A. Siochi. “Software Usability Requirements by Evaluation.” http://www.acm.org/~perlman/hfeshci/Abstracts/88:264-266.html

W. Quesenbery. “5Es of Usability.” http://www.wqusability.com/

Usability Net (A European Union Project). “Requirements.” http://www.usabilitynet.org/tools/mainrequirements.htm

Xerox Corporation. “How to Develop Usability Goals.” Usability SIG website: http://www.stcsig.org/usability/resources/toolkit/toolkit.html


UI design referencesB. Buxton. Sketching User Experiences.

R. Kavanagh and J. Soety. Prototyping Using Visio: http://www.stcsig.org/usability/newsletter/0007-prototypingvisio.html

J. Hom (Site Owner). Usability Methods Toolbox (Section on Prototyping):http://www.best.com/~jthom/usability/usable.htm

M. Klee. Five Paper Prototyping Tips: http://www.uie.com/articles/prototyping_tips/

Using Paper Prototypes to Manage Risk: http://www.uie.com/articles/prototyping_risk/

L.J. Najjar. Conceptual User Interface: A New Tool for Designing E-Commerce User Interfaces:http://www.internettg.org/newsletter/dec00/article_cui.html

J.A. Landay and B.A. Myers. Interactive Sketching for the Early Stages of User Interface Design http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~landay/research/publications/SILK_CHI/jal1bdy.html

J. Redish. Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works.

C. Snyder. Paper Prototyping: The fast and Easy Way to Design and Refine User Interfaces.


Usability testing referencesC. Barnum. Usability Testing and Research.

J.S. Dumas, J.C. Redish. Practical Guide to Usability Testing.

J. Nielsen. Usability Engineering.

J.S. Dumas, J.C. Redish. Practical Guide to Usability Testing.

J. Rubin, D. Chisnell. Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests, 2nd Edition.

D. Stone, C. Jarrett, M. Woodroffe, S. Minocha. User Interface Design and Evaluation.

K. Summers, M. Summers. Creating Websites that Work.


User survey referencesD.A. Dillman. Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method.

A.N. Oppenheim. Questionnaire Design, Interviewing and Attitude Measurement.

P. Salant and D.A. Dillman.How to Conduct Your Own Survey.


Organizations and resourcesSTC Usability & User Experience: http://www.stcsig.org/usability/

Usability Professionals’ Association: http://upassoc.org/

ACM SIGCHI:http://www.sigchi.org/

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society: http://www.hfes.org/

UX Watercooler: http://uxwatercooler.ning.com/


Recognitions and thanksPrototyping presentation originally created and presented with Whitney Quesenbery

User survey presentation originally created and presented with Caroline Jarrett


About meKaren Bachmann, an independent consultant, helps clients deliver usable products that support how users need and expect to interaction with information and perform their tasks. Karen is the former manager of the Usability & User Experience community and is an Associate Fellow of STC. Karen blogs on The Content Wrangler Community and the UX Watercooler, a social network she founded for anyone interested in UX design.

She lives with 14 ferrets and a cat, who view her and the other human in the house as necessary, although hard-to-train, staff.

Karen can be reached [email protected] treats?

© 2006-2009 K. Bachmann The Usability Buffet by Karen Bachmann Seascape Consulting, Inc.

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Transcript of © 2006-2009 K. Bachmann The Usability Buffet by Karen Bachmann Seascape Consulting, Inc.