Download N R Hartland 1 Usability Evaluation

Usability Testing
Web Design: Diploma: NC
Usability Testing
N R Hartland
Date last saved: 27/06/2017
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Usability Testing
Web Design: Diploma: NC
1 Usability Evaluation
An important stage in the design process is to evaluate the sites' use.
Q. Why do we do it?
A. How else can you tell if the site has worked?
Methods of evaluation
Various methods of evaluation can be undertaken.
The following web site shows a form of evaluation proposed by
Nielsen
Jakob
using what are known as heuristics (principles) to evaluate the
design of a site and then make recommendations on how to improve
it.
Individual Task 1
Familiarise yourself with Nielsen's
list:
(http://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/)
Some of the principles are more relevant to some web sites than
others.
Date last saved: 27/06/2017
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Usability Testing
Web Design: Diploma: NC
Conducting tests
These heuristic tests are mainly undertaken by expert users who have
a clear understanding of the type of problems experienced in web site
design and use.
However, they can be useful to get a measure of the usability of a site.
Sometimes, the evaluators are given specific individual tasks to
undertake and then pool their findings later.
Individual Task 2
Analyse the following web site:
Using Nielsen's
http://www.artcenter.edu/accd/index.jsp
Ten Usability Heuristics
choose one particular task (e.g. to
find something on the site) and apply the ten heuristics to the task.
For each heuristic:
1. comment on the problems that you can identify,
2. comment on how severe the problems are (give a score: 1 minor, 5
major) and
3. make recommendations (where possible) on how the problems
could be alleviated.
Email
this work to your tutor.
Date last saved: 27/06/2017
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Usability Testing
Web Design: Diploma: NC
Some heuristics are easier to apply than others. It is acceptable to
write more about one heuristic than another.
2 Usability Evaluation
Alternative evaluations
Alternatively an open qualitative (to obtain comments) and a
quantitative (to measure using a number system) questionnaire can
be used.
The following shows two very simple questionnaires that can be used
to evaluate a site:
Open qualitative questionnaire: (based on ideas proposed by Cato
(2001)):
Date last saved: 27/06/2017
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Usability Testing
Click here
Web Design: Diploma: NC
to load a printable version of this questionnaire
Open qualitative questionnaire:
Q
Question
No
1
What was the site about?
2
What form of navigational aids were used (buttons /
text/picture links etc.) on the site?
3
Identify any accessibility problems in using the site?
4
How easy was it to use the site and why?
5
What particular features did you like about it?
6
What features on the site did you not like?
7
What ways could the site have been improved?
8
Choosing one task in using the site e.g. to find something how
long did it take you to find it?
9
How long have you spent using the site?
10
What was the day you used the site?
The open qualitative questionnaire allows the user to make
judgmental comments that can help the web designer redesign the site
with users' comments taken on board.
Date last saved: 27/06/2017
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Usability Testing
Web Design: Diploma: NC
Remember web design is an iterative process and web sites are always
evolving so changing and updating web sites (in the right context) can
be beneficial for all.
Quantitative questionnaires allow a user to score their agreement or
disagreement with a statement.
Date last saved: 27/06/2017
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Usability Testing
Web Design: Diploma: NC
3 Usability Evaluation
As figures are used, an analysis of the results can be made showing
changes before and after design alterations to get a measure of the
acceptability of the site.
Click here
to load a printable version of this questionnaire
Quantitative questionnaire (based on ideas proposed by Cato
(2001)):
Quantitative questionnaire Questions
Look at the comments below and rank them
from 1 to 5 where 1 is strongly agree and 5 Agree
Disagree
is strongly disagree
1
2
3
4
5
The site was easy to get around
I could find what I was looking for
I understood what the site was about
I enjoyed using the site
I always knew where I was on the site
The terminology used was clear
Date last saved: 27/06/2017
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Usability Testing
Web Design: Diploma: NC
The layout of the pages was excellent
I became irritated in having to wait for pages to
load
The information was well presented
The colours used were suitable for the site
I always knew how to get from one section to
another within the site
The information downloaded quickly
I often got lost within the site
I felt in command when using the site
I would use this site again
I constantly made errors in navigation
It was easy to undo any mistakes in navigation
The site provided a logical set of interrelated
pages
I felt comfortable in using the site
The navigational aids were difficult to use
Date last saved: 27/06/2017
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Usability Testing
Web Design: Diploma: NC
Useful resources
for Usability
Useful resources:
Usability First
http://www.usabilityfirst.com/
Nielsen, J
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-to-conduct-aheuristic-evaluation/
Usability tests
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-testing-1995sun-microsystems-website/
Nielsen, J.
Designing Web Usability. Indianapolis: New Riders
(2000)
Cato, J. (2001)
User Centred Web Design. Harlow: A Wesley
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