User Experience Matters

So let’s test and play!

The people we design sites for

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4MwTvtyrUQ

Definition of Usability*

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.

* Jakob Neilsen

Usability: Defined by 5 quality components*:

Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?

Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?

Memorability: When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency?

Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors?

Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design?

* Jakob Neilsen

Utility, a key quality attribute

Utility: which refers to the design's functionality:

Does it do what users need?

Usability and utility are equally important:

Easy yet not what you want What you want but hard to get

Not a good sign

User Testing for Usability

The Benefits of User Testing

Fix it early

Test assumptions

Provide objectivity and solve the opinion issue

Inform the design process

Set Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

Budget, budget, budget

Steve Krug… my virtual mentor

“do-it-yourself” usability testing

What kind of people--and how many--to test (Steve’s motto: Recruit loosely, and grade on a curve)

What to test, and when to test it

How to facilitate--when to listen and when to probe

How to decide what to fix

Once a month, half a day, debrief over lunch

When to test

Early and often!

Napkin Test

Design mock ups

Prototype

Live site (rebuild)

www.openinterface.ie

How to test

One person per session

Screencast (audio)

One at a time

Have the user talk out loud

Ensure file of tools and content is ready

Use tools: http://sensible.com Scripts, forms, consent forms

Example Task

Provide the opportunity for the user to figure out what to do:

Bad: Post a job

Good: You are a business owner and wish to hire talent within the local technology community. Find a way to do this.

Example Questions

Ask about the site, not for their opinion: Bad: Do you like this?, What do

you think of this? Good: What do you think this is?

What would you do next?

Stay neutral and away from leading questions

What to fix*

Ignore what Steve calls – The Kayak Problems

Resist the temptation to add things

Take new features with a grain of salt

Take the low hanging fruit

* Steve Krug

Simple Tricks for Drupal UX

Custom menu

Normal names

Relational/suggestive content

Expanded help text

Web forms - less is more

Calls to action

USER TESTING – early & often!!

Stuff to know

Usertesting.com

Must reads if you build, design or manage websites: Don’t Make Me Think – Steve Krug Rocket Surgery Made Easy – Steve Krug The Elements of User Experience – Jesse James Garrett

Case Study: www.lethbridgecollege.ca