Usability Overview by Craig Tomlin

Usability: An Overview W Craig Tomlin, Certified Usability Analyst www.usefulusability.com [email_address]

What Usability Is A development approach that includes end-user feedback as part of the software development lifecycle: wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Usability test: end users try to conduct specific tasks

What Usability Is A development approach that includes end-user feedback as part of the software development lifecycle: “ Usability is an approach to product development that incorporates direct user feedback throughout the development cycle in order to reduce costs and create products and tools that meet user needs.”* *Source: Usability Professionals Association wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Usability test: end users try to conduct specific tasks

What Usability Is Usability adds to the bottom line by: Limiting the need for expensive post-launch “revisions” of software wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

What Usability Is Usability adds to the bottom line by: Limiting the need for expensive post-launch “revisions” of software Improving user efficiency, which increases conversion wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

What Usability Is Usability adds to the bottom line by: Limiting the need for expensive post-launch “revisions” of software Improving user efficiency, which increases conversion Reducing the time it takes to learn to use an application wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

What Usability Is Usability adds to the bottom line by: Limiting the need for expensive post-launch “revisions” of software Improving user efficiency, which increases conversion Reducing the time it takes to learn to use an application Increasing user satisfaction, which positively impacts brand attitudes wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

What Usability Isn’t A Focus Group: Focus groups are used for eliciting new ideas in a “group think” environment Focus groups explore ideas in a “group-think” environment wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

What Usability Isn’t A Focus Group: Focus groups are used for eliciting new ideas in a “group think” environment Focus groups do not test specific tasks on a “1-on-1” basis, thus are not used for usability testing Focus groups explore ideas in a “group-think” environment wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

What Usability Isn’t A Survey: Surveys gather attitudes, beliefs & perceptions wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

What Usability Isn’t A Survey: Surveys gather attitudes, beliefs & perceptions Surveys require large numbers of participants to reduce sampling error wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

What Usability Isn’t A Survey: Surveys gather attitudes, beliefs & perceptions Surveys require large numbers of participants to reduce sampling error Often, what people say in a survey vs. how they actually behave are quite different wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

What Usability Isn’t A Survey: Surveys gather attitudes, beliefs & perceptions Surveys require large numbers of participants to reduce sampling error Often, what people say in a survey vs. how they actually behave are quite different Usability testing typically needs only 5-10 users, because the tasks are being tested, not the users And actual user behavior is observed, not opinions wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

What Usability Isn’t Expensive: Usability can be conducted without an expensive facility, and with a minimum of resources using web-based tools wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

What Usability Isn’t Expensive: Usability can be conducted without an expensive facility, and with a minimum of resources using web-based tools Time-consuming: Best results occur with only 5-10 users in a short period of time, each user conducting a 1 or 2 hour test session wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

What Usability Isn’t Expensive: Usability can be conducted without an expensive facility, and with a minimum of resources using web-based tools Time-consuming: Best results occur with only 5-10 users in a short period of time, each user conducting a 1 or 2 hour test session Preliminary results can be observed while testing, and results compiled in days, not weeks wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Example – Usable OK, this looks like product categories… TASK: Find an electronic kit for a boy’s birthday wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Example – Usable OK, this looks like product categories… … and these are a few special deals TASK: Find an electronic kit for a boy’s birthday wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Example – Usable OK, this looks like product categories… Science Town, electronic kits must be here CLICK … and these are a few special deals TASK: Find an electronic kit for a boy’s birthday wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Example – Not As Usable Hmmm, where do I start? wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 TASK: Find an electronic kit for a boy’s birthday

Example – Not As Usable Hmmm, where do I start? Are these products? Is this the latest product catalog? wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 TASK: Find an electronic kit for a boy’s birthday

Example – Not As Usable Hmmm, where do I start? Are these products? What’s this? What’s this for? Is this the latest product catalog? wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 TASK: Find an electronic kit for a boy’s birthday

A Cause of Usability Failure Many usability failures are caused by designing systems that are not in alignment with the user’s “Mental Map” of a task-flow: wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

A Cause of Usability Failure Many usability failures are caused by designing systems that are not in alignment with the user’s “Mental Map” of a task-flow: wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Step 1 – Find product categories Step 2 – Find science kits Step 3 – Find electronic kit for boy

A Cause of Usability Failure wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Step 1 – Find product categories Step 2 – Find science kits Step 3 – Find electronic kit for boy Aligned with Mental Map Not Aligned with Mental Map

Testing at key points of the Software Development Life Cycle improves usability, because of alignment with the user’s Mental Map Usability Testing in the SDLC wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Time vs. Impact on Design wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Usability’s biggest impact is early in the development process, due to the ability to make changes at minimal resource cost

Time vs. Impact on Design Early Development Production Prototype Impact on Design Time wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Usability’s biggest impact is early in the development process, due to the ability to make changes at minimal resource cost

Time vs. Impact on Design Early Development Production Prototype Impact on Design Time Ability to Make Changes “ Cost” to Make Changes wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Usability’s biggest impact is early in the development process, due to the ability to make changes at minimal resource cost

Usability Benefits Increasing usability = increasing application value User-friendly systems are simple, they don’t make users think, so they’re faster & more satisfying, which result in increased: wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

2 Types of Usability Tests There are many variations of usability testing, but 2 general types: wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Usability Testing Steps An overview of 1-on-1 usability testing steps: wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 Warning! Get your magnifying glass ready! (And this is just an overview)

Usability Testing Steps An overview of 1-on-1 usability testing steps: wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Summary: Usability Overview A development approach that includes end-user feedback as part of the software development lifecycle: “ Usability is an approach to product development that incorporates direct user feedback throughout the development cycle in order to reduce costs and create products and tools that meet user needs.” (Usability Professional’s Association) wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Summary: Usability Overview A development approach that includes end-user feedback as part of the software development lifecycle: “ Usability is an approach to product development that incorporates direct user feedback throughout the development cycle in order to reduce costs and create products and tools that meet user needs.” (Usability Professional’s Association) Usability adds to the bottom line by: Limiting the need for expensive post-launch “revisions” of software Improving user efficiency, which increases conversion Reducing the time it takes to learn how to use a new application Increasing user satisfaction, which impacts brand attitudes wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Appendix: Usability Resources www.usefulusability.com – My usability web site www.upassoc.org – Usability Professional’s Association www.ukupa.org.uk – UPA in the United Kingdom www.usability.gov – Copious usability information www.sigchi.org – Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction www.usabilitynet.org – European Union usability group wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612

Thank You! wcraigtomlin@gmail.com | (805) 501-8612 W Craig Tomlin, Certified Usability Analyst www.usefulusability.com [email_address]

Usability Overview by Craig Tomlin

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Usability Overview by Craig Tomlin