06-13-2012 Can anyone use our portal?

Tom Freestone
Senior Developer
Brigham Young University

June 10-15, 2012

Growing Community;
Growing Possibilities

 Define Usability
◦ What is and is not
usability?
 Discuss the
principles of user-
centered design
 Designing and
implementing a
usability test

2012 Jasig Sakai Conference 2

 Not
◦ Not ascetics (e.g.
Branding)
◦ Accessibility
 Is
◦ Helping users to
figure out how to get
what they need  You can't always get what you
want
But if you try sometimes well
you just might find
You get what you need
(Rolling Stones – You Can’t Always Get What
You Want)


[1] [4][2]


 Jj JJ

 Something of both
actual and
perceived
properties
[3]


 Gulf of Execution
◦ Describes the gap
between user’s
mental model for
action and the means
to execute the goal [4]
 Satisfice
◦ combining satisfy
with suffice
◦ find the best option
available [5]


 Gulf of Evaluation [5]

◦ Difficulty assessing
the state of the
system and how well
the system supports
the discovery and the
interpretation of
state [4]


 2010 Social Networking
◦ 28 % of senior citizens use
social networking
 2010 Internet
◦ 50 % of all Senior Citizens are
online.
 2010 Cell Phones
◦ Senior Citizens less likely to
send a text then their younger
counterparts [6]

Reason
◦ The lack of intention to use
computers is mainly driven by
the perception that using
computers is a difficult and
complex task that requires a
lot of effort to master [7]


 Users are :
◦ In a hurry and want
to save time
◦ Don’t read, they scan
◦ Good at matching
things to task at
hand

◦ If the user thinks it is
“too hard” they are
not going to use it as
often (if at all).


 If you don’t know
what your portal
is then its users
don’t have the
time to figure it
out for you

◦ You need a Tag
Line myBYU is your BYU core information, your
way.


 What is the portal?
 What does the
portal have?
 What can I do in the
portal?
 Why am I in the
portal (instead of
somewhere else)?


 Portal needs to tell
me what it is and
why I care

 Site Hierarchy

 Search


 Portals are
expensive real
estate
◦ Everybody wants a
piece
 Too many cooks to
spoil the broth
 One size fits all


 Focus Groups
◦ Good sampling of users’
opinions
◦ 5-10 people
 Web Analytics
◦ Numbers kill The Good
Idea Fairies *
◦ Metrics
 Browser Types/Resolutions
 Bounce Rate
 Repeat Visitors
 Engagement
 uPortal 4 Event
* An evil mythical creature that whispers advice and ideas without data
into the ears to leadership, causing hundreds unnecessary changes Tracking
and countless wasted man-hours every year.
[http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Good-Idea-Fairymilitary/234595846556002]


 It depends …
 myBYU
◦ Start-over
◦ Legacy system needed
to retire
 Trade-offs
◦ User Stress (Gulf of
Would you tell
Execution) me, please, which way I ought

◦ Break what works to go from here?'
`That depends a good deal on
where you want to get to,'
 Soft Roll-out said the Cat.
`I don't much care where--'
said Alice.
`Then it doesn't matter which
way you go,' said the Cat.
(Lewis Carroll. Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland)


 Will Not
◦ Best Color Scheme
◦ Whether Users like
tabs or pull-downs
◦ Which design is
better than the other

 Will
◦ Will tell you if users
can use your portal
◦ You may be surprised


 Methodical, Iterative
Process
◦ Scientific Method
 Ask a Question
 Background Research
 Hypothesis
 Experiment
 Record Observations
 Analyze Data
 Draw Conclusions
◦ Fair Test
 1 Variable Changing
 Good design is not
random.


 Set-up
◦ Computers
◦ Recording Software
◦ Microphones
◦ Cameras
◦ Test Staff
 Test Subjects
◦ 10-20 people
 Need to Pay Them
◦ Non-Disclosure
Agreements


 Test Administrator
will ask subject to
do a task(s)
 Typically, users will
explain their
actions while they
complete the task
 Test(s) can be
watched in an
adjacent room


Design and Usability Center
Bentley University
http://usability.bentley.edu/eye-tracking
Scan Paths

Heat Maps


 Pros
◦ A professional is
totally worth it.
 Cons
◦ Cost
◦ Of course, you need
to have a lab.


 Typical Setup
◦ Laptop
◦ Place
 Cubical/Conference
Room
 Table at Student Union
(with a bag of candy)
◦ A Good Listener
◦ Notepad
◦ Cameras (Overrated)


 Performance
◦ How long to complete
task?
 Accuracy
◦ How many mistakes were
made trying to complete
task?
 Recall
◦ Does person remember
task after a period of time?
 Stickiness
◦ How long does a person
spend using UI?
 Emotional Response
◦ What is user’s mood while
completing task?


 Classic Card Sorting
◦ Setup
 3x5 cards with a set of [6]

things such as
registration, HR, …
 Paper
◦ Task
 Have user put cards into
a logical order by placing
them on a piece of paper
with a category

◦ Great for finding
information hierarchy


 Trunk Test
◦ Steve Krug, Don’t Make
Me Think [7]
 Task
◦ Print screenshot of
portal
◦ Hold at screen shot at
arms length
◦ Circle the answers to
following questions:
 What is this?
 Where am I?
 How can I search?
 …


 “Hall Testing”
 Set-up
◦ Laptop
◦ 3-4 Random Willing
People

 Hall Testing
assumes there will
be lots of
iterations.


 Don’t skip usability
testing because you
don’t have
resources

 Be Methodical

 Use a formal lab if
you can


 Understand what
your portal is and is
not.

 Users do not want
to have think to use
your portal


06-13-2012 Can anyone use our portal?

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