Transcript Template

Web Site Design: Learn from
Observing Your Customers
Web Site Design Panel
Presented by:
Web Site Strategy and
Tactics Workshop
Laurie Kantner
Tec-Ed, Inc.
Yaffe Center,
University of Michigan
September 20, 2002
Improving the User
Experience
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Methods for Learning Your
Customers’ Experience
• In-Laboratory studies (“usability testing”):
– Observe customers as they perform real tasks
in a controlled setting
– Identify problems that are serious or occur
repeatedly
– 5 participants per iteration finds 80% problems
• Field studies:
– Observe people in their workplaces or homes
– Learn about customers and context for more
in-depth analysis of problems
©2002
Tec-Ed, Inc.
Slide 2
Strategy for Using a
Combination of Methods
• Use in-lab studies at these stages:
– Prototype: find problems early before investing
in back-end coding
– Alpha: validate changes from first-round testing
or heuristic evaluation
• Use field studies at these stages:
– After release: gain insights about real
experiences accomplishing real goals
– Beta: observe beta customers’ experiences
before release
©2002
Tec-Ed, Inc.
Slide 3
What About Heuristic
Evaluation?
• 2 or more usability experts “walk through” a user
interface to compare against set of heuristics
• Valid method for finding “low-hanging fruit”
• Best when combined with methods that collect
actual user data
• Research-Based Web Usability Guidelines from
NCI at: www.usability.gov/guidelines
• Find Jakob Nielsen/Keith Instone web heuristic
guidelines at:
www.webreview.com/1997/10_10/strategists/10_10_97_1.shtml
©2002
Tec-Ed, Inc.
Slide 4
Frequent Findings in Web
Usability Studies
• Derived from dozens of in-laboratory tests and
field studies Tec-Ed has performed
• Frequently found problems:
– Important elements too subtle
– Lack of clear task starting point
– Lack of meaning in labels and messages
– No status feedback
©2002
Tec-Ed, Inc.
Slide 5
Important Elements Too Subtle
Users
overlooked
“Next 10”
choice.
©2002
Tec-Ed, Inc.
Slide 6
Important Elements Too Subtle
The product
page reappears
when Qty not
filled in. Study
participants
missed seeing
this message.
©2002
Tec-Ed, Inc.
Slide 7
Lack of Clear Task Start Point
Where do I
click to start
listening?
©2002
Tec-Ed, Inc.
Slide 8
Lack of Meaning in Labels
• Short button labels look clean but often create
ambiguity
• Example:
Users assumed
Proceed to Checkout
also added to cart
©2002
Tec-Ed, Inc.
Slide 9
Lack of Meaning in Messages
• Error messages must offer solutions
“Sorry”
message
dissuaded
users from
trying
other
spellings.
©2002
Tec-Ed, Inc.
Slide 10
No Status Feedback
“I want to know if the
system will ask me if I
want to save this
second line item. (No
system response.) At
this point, I’d go to
Help because I’m not
sure what's going on.”
©2002
Tec-Ed, Inc.
“Well, I clicked it [the
Accept button], and I
didn’t get a message
or anything.”
“There is a Delete button
at bottom of page. I would
like to see a window pop
up and ask, ‘Would you
like to delete this?’”
Slide 11
Cost-Justifying Usability
• Cost of collecting usability data easier to identify
than benefits, which are:
– Increased development efficiencies:
• Problems discovered early are easier to fix
• User data resolves disagreements
– Decreased burden on customer service and
tech support
– Reduced training costs
– Greater visitor productivity
– Increased visitor satisfaction
©2002
Tec-Ed, Inc.
Slide 12
Best Practices for Usability Work
During Website Development
• If time permits only one cycle of evaluation, collect
real user data:
– In-lab studies easier to manage
– Heuristic evaluation “just another opinion”
• Evaluate with truly representative users
• Realize you can’t evaluate — or fix — everything
in one cycle
• Make tasks as realistic as possible
©2002
Tec-Ed, Inc.
Slide 13