Tuesday, 13 October

Week 8: Usability Testing 1/3

Review Potential Quiz Questions

What is User-Centered Design? What are its characteristics? Why is it important?

User-Centered Design is an approach that considers the user experience in the context of use. The characteristics of it is that instead of asking what users want, we observe what their experience is and think of ways to improve it by using knowledge and skill. It is important to understand user’s needs and how design could improve their experience in the context of their daily lives.

What are “user journeys”? Why are they important in UXD? What are the stages of such a process?

"User journeys" are a method helps the team to conceptualize and structure the website’s content and functionality. It is important because it forces a shift away from thinking about structure in terms of hierarchies or a technical build and helps minimize any serious problems with user navigation before the design is implemented. 

The stages are: 1) create a scenario; 2) ask the user to envisage the journey; 3) visualize the journey; 4) make the journey; 5) observe users making the journey.

What is a “project life cycle” and what are the major stages of it?

The major stages of a Project Life Cycle include the creation of a concept brief; team building; the identification of users and their needs; user research; initial design and development; user-centered evaluation; iteration; deployment of the design and continuous evaluation.

What is “iteration” and what is its role in the design of interactive systems?

Iteration means the design is evaluated, the evaluation triggers improvements in the design, and then the design is evaluated again. Its role in the design is evaluation which aimed to progressively eliminate uncertainty during the development of interactive systems.

Are there overall questions on Project 3: Usability Testing?

Review Brief

Notes: 

• No one from your team can be the subject of your study 

• Your subject may not use the search function while conducting the study 

• You may use standard, not reduced size, PDFs if you need to for quality reasons (so long as the file can be uploaded to Canvas)

Usability principles from Steve Krug:

Krug's three laws of usability: 

1. Don't make me think!
2. It doesn't matter how many times I have to click, as long as each click is a mindless, unambiguous choice
3. Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what's left.

Krug's first law of usability testing:
Testing with one user is 100% better than testing with none

Krug's "Trunk Test" answer, quickly, the following questions:

• What site is this? (Site ID)
• What page am I on? (Page name)
• What are the major sections of this site? (Sections)
• What are my options at this level? (Local navigation)
• Where am I in the scheme of things ("You are here" indicators)
• How can I search?

In-class exercise: Trunk Test

Each group should conduct a Trunk Test, answering the questions posed above and submit a single write up featuring your answers.

You should set out the next steps in your process for completing Project 3.1

If you wish to present your interim work on Thursday please indicate that on your write up as well. 

Homework for Wednesday, 14 October at 11:59 pm through Canvas:

Complete mid-term Reflection Paper addressing:

1. How has your understanding of HCI/d changed so far this semester?
2. Are your finding the class more or less useful than you expected? 
3. What has been the most valuable thing you’ve learned so far?

Homework for Thursday, 15 October:

Continue work on Project 3.1