Transcript Usability Testing & Web Design

Usability Testing &
Web Design
by Alex Andujar
What is Usability?


Usability measures the quality of a user's
experience when interacting with a Web
site, a software application, mobile
technology, or any user-operated device.
In general, usability refers to how well users
can learn and use a product to achieve their
goals and how satisfied they are with that
process.
Example – Garden.com
“I looked for a link labeled ‘check
out,’ but there was no such link on
the page. I glanced high and low for
the shopping-cart symbol, but it was
not to be found. Then I carefully
studied every link and graphic on the
page, trying to find a way to buy the
item I had selected. No go. After
continuing to bumble around the site,
I finally discovered that garden.com's
term for shopping cart is
‘wheelbarrow’ and that there is in fact
a wheelbarrow text link on each page.”
User-centered Design



User-centered design (UCD) is an approach
for employing usability.
It is a structured product development
methodology that involves users throughout
all stages of Web site development, in order
to create a Web site that meets users'
needs.
This approach considers an organization's
business objectives and the user's needs,
limitations, and preferences.
How do I create a usercentric Web site?
The first step is to clearly define your organization and users’ needs, goals,
and objectives. To get the project started, begin by asking yourself (and
your Web development team) more detailed questions such as:









What are your agency's primary business objectives and how do they
relate the Web?
Who are the users of your Web site?
What are your users' tasks and goals?
What information do your users need, and in what form do they need it?
What functions do your users want from the Web site?
How do users think your Web site should work?
What are your users' experience levels with the Web site?
How can the design of your Web site facilitate users' cognitive processes?
What hardware and software will the majority of your users use to access
your site?
How do I create a usercentric Web site?
To create a user-centered Web site you must
think about the needs of your users
throughout each step in the development of
your site, including:





planning your site
collecting data from users
developing prototypes
writing content
conducting usability testing with users
What does usability
measure?
It is important to realize that usability is not a single, onedimensional property of a user interface. Usability is a
combination of factors including:





Ease of learning - How fast can a user who has never seen
the user interface before learn it sufficiently well to
accomplish basic tasks?
Efficiency of use - Once an experienced user has learned to
use the site, how fast can he or she accomplish tasks?
Memorability - If a user has used the site before, can he or
she remember enough to use it effectively the next time or
does the user have to start over again learning everything?
Error frequency and severity - How often do users make
errors while using the site, how serious are these errors, and
how do users recover from these errors?
Subjective satisfaction - How much does the user like
using the site?
What are the benefits of a
usable site?
Usable sites can save money by helping to:
 increase productivity
 increase customer satisfaction
 increase sales and revenues
 reduce development time and costs
 reduce maintenance costs
 decrease training and support costs
Navigation
All web navigation must answer:
Where am I?
Where have I been?
Where can I go next
Where’s the Home Page
Where’s the Home Home Page
Navigation must be simple and consistent
Navigation
Common mistakes include:





Different types of navigation on the same
site
A link to the current page on the current
page (home page link on home page)
Poorly worded links so the visitor doesn’t
know where he’ll go if he clicks
No links back to the home page
Confusing links to the home page
The End
For more information, visit:
http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/biggest-mistakes-in-web-design-1995-2015.html