OSU Libraries presented by the u-team

Usability: definition What: Usability relates to the users’ experiences of a product or website. Usability is about building products based on user feedback and input and with the users' needs and goals in mind. Why: To reduce confusion and make it easier for users to accomplish their goals on our site. The payoff is in lower support costs and a better user experience. –Bad intranet/B2B Web design cost the economy $ billion per year in lost employee productivity –something about student service Usability is defined by five quality attributes: ● Learnability ● Efficiency ● Memorability ● Errors ● Satisfaction

Learnability How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?

Efficiency Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?

Memorability When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency?

Errors How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors?

Satisfaction How pleasant is it to use the design?

User-Centered Design hide me In broad terms, user-centered design (UCD) is a design philosophy and a process in which the needs, wants, and limitations of the end user of an interface or document are given extensive attention at each stage of the design process. User-centered design tries to optimize the user interface around how people can, want, or need to work, rather than forcing the users to change how they work to accommodate the system or function. Four essential activities in a user-centered design project: –Requirements gathering - Understanding and specifying the context of use –Requirements specification - Specifying the user and organizational requirements –Design - Producing designs and prototypes –Evaluation - Carrying out user-based assessment of the site

Usability Methods The word "usability" also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process. Usability can be measured objectively via performance errors and productivity, and subjectively via user preferences and interface characteristics. Examples of usability methods –Ethnographic Studies –Scenarios and Personas –Task Analysis –Heuristic Evaluation –Card Sorting –Think-Aloud User testing

Think-Aloud User Testing A method used to gather data in usability testing ( not focus groups!) Participants are asked to think aloud as they are performing a set of specified tasks. This enables observers to see first-hand the process of task completion.

Think-Aloud Demo Task: Susan needs to find good task that shows dramatic change in redesign Volunteer: Alison?? Switch to Web site After demo tell them Alison is on U team and her comments were based on real users

User Testing Result Show screen shot of redesign and talk about using the results from tests Q & A

U-Team Services Usability Education Consultations Usability Testing –Comparative testing –Formal usability study –In-house testing –Data analysis Current Members: Jane, Susan, Kim, Elizabeth, Loretta & Alison

Explore more! Jakob Nielsen: LITA Regional Institute User Centered Design Workshop January 19, 2006