Usability and tasteUsability and taste

Taste is subjectiveTaste is subjective but not necessarily trivialbut not necessarily trivial

Taste is subject to fashionTaste is subject to fashion Changes over timeChanges over time Influenced by other peopleInfluenced by other people What people are accustomed to or expect at What people are accustomed to or expect at

any given timeany given time What people think reflects competence, skill What people think reflects competence, skill

at any given timeat any given time

Usability assessment is like Usability assessment is like editingediting

Someone who looks at design (text) Someone who looks at design (text) through the eyes of the user (reader)through the eyes of the user (reader)

Helping the design (text) do (say) what it Helping the design (text) do (say) what it is trying to do (say)is trying to do (say)

Encouraging the designer (author) to let Encouraging the designer (author) to let go of favorite ideas that don’t helpgo of favorite ideas that don’t help

Streamlining, tightening, clarifying for the Streamlining, tightening, clarifying for the sake of usability (comprehensibility)sake of usability (comprehensibility)

Usability inspectionUsability inspection

Different methods have different goalsDifferent methods have different goals They vary as to have judgment is derived They vary as to have judgment is derived

and the criteriaand the criteria Defining characteristic: reliance on Defining characteristic: reliance on

judgmentjudgment (rather than more elaborate (rather than more elaborate testing)testing)

Inspection methodsInspection methods

Heuristic evaluationHeuristic evaluation Guidelines reviewGuidelines review Consistency inspectionsConsistency inspections Standards inspectionsStandards inspections Features inspectionFeatures inspection Cognitive walk-throughsCognitive walk-throughs Pluralistic walk-throughsPluralistic walk-throughs

Components of a walk-Components of a walk-thruthru

One or more task scenariosOne or more task scenarios Explicit assumptions about the user Explicit assumptions about the user

population and contexts of usepopulation and contexts of use Sequence of actions a user is likely to Sequence of actions a user is likely to

perform to complete the taskperform to complete the task Prototype of some sortPrototype of some sort

Cognitive WalkthroughCognitive Walkthrough

Taking a systematic look at any product with an Taking a systematic look at any product with an eye on eye on ease of learning by inspectionease of learning by inspection..

Using prototypes, task flows, and scenarios: Using prototypes, task flows, and scenarios: Walk in your users' shoes through your Web site Walk in your users' shoes through your Web site Try out parts of the design, following a task flow or Try out parts of the design, following a task flow or

scenario scenario Look for problems Look for problems

Pluralistic walk-throughPluralistic walk-through

Involves several different groups, Involves several different groups, typically:typically: UsersUsers Product developersProduct developers Usability expertsUsability experts

They walk through a scenario using a They walk through a scenario using a prototypeprototype

Benefits and limitsBenefits and limits

Short and fairly simpleShort and fairly simple Allows developers to hear the concerns Allows developers to hear the concerns

of users with the system directly, early of users with the system directly, early enough to do some goodenough to do some good

Questions of validity given the Questions of validity given the constrained setting and tasksconstrained setting and tasks

Scenarios don’t readily reflect the full Scenarios don’t readily reflect the full gamut of possible uses and usersgamut of possible uses and users

Competitive usability Competitive usability studystudy Purpose: gather insights from related sitesPurpose: gather insights from related sites Look for both problems and good ideasLook for both problems and good ideas Understand the context within which users Understand the context within which users

will be workingwill be working Other choicesOther choices What they are used toWhat they are used to

What is salient for users: whatever was What is salient for users: whatever was sacrificed often becomes important in the sacrificed often becomes important in the next roundnext round

Caution: easy to focus on triviaCaution: easy to focus on trivia

How to do competitor How to do competitor studystudy

Usability inspection by developers or Usability inspection by developers or usability specialistsusability specialists

Usability testing by usersUsability testing by users With directed tasksWith directed tasks With their own tasksWith their own tasks

Selecting sites for Selecting sites for competitive usability studycompetitive usability study

Sites that have good reputationsSites that have good reputations Sites that have interesting features or designsSites that have interesting features or designs The market leadersThe market leaders Sites your users may be familiar withSites your users may be familiar with Sites that have bad reputations, for mistakes to Sites that have bad reputations, for mistakes to

avoidavoid Sites that are considered cutting-edgeSites that are considered cutting-edge Ask users!Ask users!

What to look forWhat to look for

Targeted usersTargeted users The user goals, tasks this site supportsThe user goals, tasks this site supports Content, functionality, navigation, design Content, functionality, navigation, design Things a site does wellThings a site does well

Why and how?Why and how? Things it does poorlyThings it does poorly

Why and how?Why and how? Ideas to adoptIdeas to adopt Things to avoidThings to avoid

IBM’s guidelines for rating competitors’ IBM’s guidelines for rating competitors’ sitessites

Is the purpose of the site clear? Is the purpose of the site clear? Does the site clearly address a particular audience? Does the site clearly address a particular audience? Is the site useful and relevant to its audience? Is the site useful and relevant to its audience? Is the site interesting and engaging? Is the site interesting and engaging? Does the site enable users to accomplish all the tasks they need or want to Does the site enable users to accomplish all the tasks they need or want to

accomplish? accomplish? Can these tasks be accomplished easily? Can these tasks be accomplished easily? Is info organized in a way users will expect and understand? Is info organized in a way users will expect and understand? Is the most important information easiest to find? Is the most important information easiest to find? Is textual info clear, grammatically correct, and easy to read? Is textual info clear, grammatically correct, and easy to read? Do you have a clear idea of what the site contains? Do you have a clear idea of what the site contains? Do you always know where you are, how to get where you want to go?Do you always know where you are, how to get where you want to go? Is the presentation attractive? Is the presentation attractive? Do pages load quickly enough?Do pages load quickly enough?

Competitive Evaluation: Competitive Evaluation: Information SchoolsInformation Schools

SitesSites http://www.si.umich.edu/http://www.si.umich.edu/ http://www.ischool.washington.edu/http://www.ischool.washington.edu/

To whom are these sites addressed?To whom are these sites addressed? What is your first impression of the school?What is your first impression of the school? As a As a prospective student, prospective student, what is your reaction? what is your reaction?

Masters? PhD?Masters? PhD? As an As an employeremployer?? As an As an alumnialumni?? Walk thru the process of (1) investigating to see if you Walk thru the process of (1) investigating to see if you

want to apply, and (2) applyingwant to apply, and (2) applying

ConclusionsConclusions Content and functionality are paramount; other Content and functionality are paramount; other

factors of usability are secondary.factors of usability are secondary. Different users have different needs; for whom is this Different users have different needs; for whom is this

site optimized?site optimized? For new users in particular, the combination of For new users in particular, the combination of

content, functionality, design, and navigation create content, functionality, design, and navigation create an overall impression of the organization and the site.an overall impression of the organization and the site.

The initial impression may determine whether users The initial impression may determine whether users are willing to go further when they have a choice.are willing to go further when they have a choice.

In an inspection, it’s hard to get past initial, surface In an inspection, it’s hard to get past initial, surface impressions.impressions.

With further user testing or use, other kinds of With further user testing or use, other kinds of usability issues and criteria become important.usability issues and criteria become important.

Guidelines and heuristics can help us to understand Guidelines and heuristics can help us to understand how and why a site does or does not work, but they how and why a site does or does not work, but they are means to an end.are means to an end.