Web Usability 101: Watch (and Discuss) A Live Test

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Web Usability 101 Watch (and Discuss) A Live Test

• John Fritz
• UMBC

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Must Read

• www.sensible.com
• Usability Script
• Video Consent Form
• Omitted Chapters from 1st Edition

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Usability

• Making whatever youre working on easier to use
  for who ever is going to use it.
• An element of design, focusing on can this be
  used when its done? rather than just making it
  look good.
• Steve Krug, 2001 WebTalkGuys interview

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Usability Basics

• Instead of imagining what users want, you
  observe, interview them and prototype their
  needs.
• Develop content, design and programming strategy
  by reconciling observed user needs with sponsors
  desired objectives.
• Test user tasks and expectations with low-cost
  prototypes (e.g., paper, PhotoShop)
• Users dont make mistakes Websites do

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Krugs First Law of Usability

• Dont Make Me Think
• As far as is humanly possible, when I look at a
  Web page it should be self-evident. Obvious.
  Self-explanatory.
• Does it pass the next door neighbor test?

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Dreaded Thought Balloons

• Where do I start?
• Why did they do that?
• Can I click on that?
• Those two links seem like theyre the same
  thing. Are they really?
• Why did they put that there?

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Krugs Second Law of Usability

• It doesnt matter how many times I have to click,
  as long as each click is a mindless, unambiguous
  choice.

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Testing rationale

• Keep test simpleso you do enough of it.
• Small number of users will find a majority of
  sites errors.
• Target Users arent as important as we think.

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Common problems

• Users are unclear on concept
• The words theyre looking for arent there
• Theres too much going on
• Tough to change current web development process.

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Testing Basics

• Get It Testing
• Do they understand the purpose of the site, how
  its organized, how it works, etc.
• Key Task Testing
• Ask the user to do something and watch how well
  they do.
• What, when and how to test (example).
• Krugs Sample Script
• UMBC example

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Participant Practice

• Site owner or webmaster
• Think about your organizations and users needs.
• Test facilitator
• 5 min Interview webmaster for goals, issues,
  problems
• 10 min Test user for get it and 1-2 key tasks.
• Average user
• 5 min Leave the room
• Return Think out loud, pretend this is normal.

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Reflection

• Site owner
• Did the user behave as you expected?
• Facilitator
• Did you reveal a bias or leaning?
• User
• Did you think aloud? What would you add?

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Communicating Usability Results

• No substitute for watching someone use your site.
• But dont let site owners in the room with user
  watch from video camera or one-way mirror.
• If owners cant attend, prepare a Summary Report.
• 2001 Insights Online handout
• 2005 myUMBC Degree Navigation Study
• A 2-3 minute highlight video may entice them to
  attend a live session or study issues further.
• 2003 UMBC Blackboard Usability Study Highlights

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Content, Context, Users
Context
Users
Content
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web
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Web Content Developers Artifacts

• A web content developer meets the information
  needs of users, as well as the mission and
  culture of the sites sponsor(s).
• Content artifacts prototype user needs,
  facilitate stakeholder consensus and guide
  designers or programmers who build the site.

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Site Map
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Design
Student Advising Home Page
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References

• Dont Make Me Think A Common Sense Approach to
  Web Usability, 2nd Edition, by Steve Krug, New
  Riders Publishing (2005)
• Designing Web Usability by Jakob Nielsen, New
  Riders Publishing (2000)
• Information Architecture for the World Wide Web
  by Louis Rosenfeld Peter Morville, OReilly
  Associates (1998)
• Building A Paper Web Site, opening lecture in
  Johns IS/ENGL 387 Web Content Development
  class at UMBC (http//www.umbc.edu/fritz/engl387/
  paper_site)