usability consulting services, indiana university designing with users in mind usability consulting...

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Designing with Users in Mind Usability Consulting Services INDIANA UNIVERSITY Todd Zazelenchuk, Ph.D. Chad Singer, M.I.S. Abigail Gonzales, B.A.

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Everyone wanted to be the first off the ground - anonymous American fighter pilot interview (1947) Casey, S. (1993). Set phasers on stun: And other true tales of design, technology, and human error. Aegean. Santa Barbara, CA.

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Not all butterflies are pretty! - Florida county election ballot (November, 2000) Tognazzini, B. (2001). The butterfly ballot: Anatomy of a disaster. AskTog.com ( http://www.asktog.com/columns/042ButterflyBallot.html) http://www.asktog.com/columns/042ButterflyBallot.html

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY How much user control is too much? - Cell phone etiquette (October 8, 2002, 1-3pm?) Permission granted by: Jamie McKenzie ( http://phoneybusiness.com/cartoons.html) http://phoneybusiness.com/cartoons.html

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY What happened to designing for the user? Airplane story Motivation for design? (ease of operation OR ease/cost of manufacturing?) Overhauling a new website Florida ballot Users goal vs. designers goal? Need for arrows suggests a problem! Online web forms Cell phones Design Rule #1: Do no harm User control vs. users ability to control Feature creep / pressure to innovate

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Outline for this presentation User survey - User-Centered Design in your organizations? About Usability Consulting Services Integrating UCD into the software development process Sharing the challenges Sharing some strategies Our usability testing methodology (Case Study: CFS) Task development activity Questions & Answers

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Est.1995 a part of University Information Technology Services (UITS) help make systems easier to use by applying a user-centered approach to systems design, development and evaluation 2 FTE and 1 graduate assistant UITS projects: base funding IU projects: chargeback External projects: contract Project Distribution and Funding

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY

User Centered Design (UCD) A philosophy of design from the field of Human Computer Interaction that asks the question... What is the experience like for the user? (Norman & Draper, 1986, User-Centered System Design) Contextual analysis Task analysis Use cases Participatory design Focus groups * Card Sorting * Paper prototyping * Heuristic Evaluation * Usability testing * Common methods applied at UCS UCD Methods

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Integrating UCD into the development cycle contextual inquiry (needs / audience / context analysisfield research) task analysis participatory design use cases focus groups DesignTestDevelopmentRelease Requirements gathering heuristic evaluation paper prototyping card sort usability testing

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Challenges What are the challenges you face in your organization when it comes to designing with users in mind? Strategies What ideas and strategies have you tried (successful and unsuccessful) to help overcome these challenges?

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Integrating UCD into development cycle at UCS The challenges we face: -Awareness of service -Lack of understanding about process / timeline / scope / options -Leaving evaluation until the end (summative vs. formative) -Centralized vs. decentralized service -Location (proximity to participants & project teams) -Recruitment of users -Compensation for users -Implementation of findings

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Integrating UCD into development cycle at UCS The strategies we use: -Organizational support (IT Strategic Plan; Project managers) -Awareness across organization -Visibility of lab and activities -Manager meetings -Campus newsletter -Word of mouth -Resources (experienced personnel, facilities) -Collaboration with design teams -task development -attendance at sessions -help develop recommendations -Promote a usability culture >>>

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Promoting a usability culture Old Way Usability testing occurs at the end of cycle validates design Large scale and attempts to cover entire application Consultants learn from and own the test Results from test are numerous and dont always get implemented because of looming deadlines New Way More frequent testing throughout the developmentdrives design Smaller scale testing throughout its development Project Teams learn from and own the process Realistic, immediate fixes Fraser, J. (2002). The culture of usability: How to spend less and get more from your usability testing program. New.Architect. http://www.newarchitectmag.com/print/documentID-27073 http://www.newarchitectmag.com/print/documentID-27073 Fraser, J. (2002). The culture of usability: How to spend less and get more from your usability testing program. New.Architect. http://www.newarchitectmag.com/print/documentID-27073 http://www.newarchitectmag.com/print/documentID-27073

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY 19959697989900012002 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 # of Projects Completed No data Avg # of Weeks Engaged On Project 25 20 15 10 5 0 No data UCS Project History (1995 - 08/2002)

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Planning 20% Analysis & Reporting Design & Develop Implementation 20%50%10% Usability Testing Methodology (Usability Consulting Services)

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Project background Goals of both user and client Audience Stakeholders System involved Client deliverables Budget Timeline 20% Planning 20% Usability Testing Methodology (Usability Consulting Services)

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Case Study: Common File System Project background Client: Distributed Mass Storage Group (UITS) Mass file storage system (100 MB) for students, staff & faculty Web accessible Unix-based system (and terminology) Goals Users: Store and retrieve files from home or school without error Clients: Summative evaluation, design layout Users Range of experience with CFS web application Timeline Round 1: two weeks Round 2: two days

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Original home page Original feedback screens Case Study: Common File System

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Design & Develop Planning Identify core tasks for using the system Server logs, help desk, task analysis Develop testing protocol Determine recruitment & compensation for users Develop the tasks for the test collaboratively Design the study (# of users/tasks, length of session) Create the pilot test materials 20% Usability Testing Methodology (Usability Consulting Services)

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY 50% Design & Develop Planning Implementation Pilot test materials Recruit and schedule users Conduct evaluation sessions 10% Usability Testing Methodology (Usability Consulting Services) 20%

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Case Study: Common File System Lab sessions Number -Round 1: 6 users -Round 2: 3 users Length -30 to 45 min. Demographics -4 females, 5 males -6 students, 3 staff -Varied experience w/ application

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Design & Development Planning Implementation Analysis & Reporting Analyze data Identify and prioritize problems Generate recommendations Create report Deliver/present report findings 20% 50% Usability Testing Methodology (Usability Consulting Services) 20% 10%

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Case Study: Common File System ObservationInterpretationRecommendation Bucket 1 - entry 1 - entry 2 Bucket n - entry 1 - entry 2 UCS Report (Format) Buckets: categories of observations based on common themes, heuristics Entries: observed problem, evaluators interpretation, and associated recommendation(s) for addressing the observed problem

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Case Study: Common File System ObservationInterpretationRecommendation Navigation Several (3 of 6) users commented that they did not understand naming conventions such as / and Index of which are native to Unix environment. Many CFS users will be accustomed to folder and web-based navigation and will not have used Unix. 1.Change / to Home. 2.Change Index of to Folder: followed by breadcrumb navigation (see Appendix 1). 3.On Make Directory screen, change Make a new directory in /directory name/ to Create New Folder in (folder name) UCS Report (Sample)

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY BeforeAfter Case Study: Common File System

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Original Recommended Current Case Study: Common File System

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Overview Tasks explained Identifying tasks for your test Properties of good tasks Providing context Task writing activity Task Development for Usability Testing

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Goal User Attend wedding in Seattle Tasks Review budget Ask for time off work Book a flight to Seattle Pack suitcase Check flight times Rent a car Arrange lodging Task Development for Usability Testing Users, Goals, Tasks and Context C o n t e x t

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Task Development for Usability Testing Users, Goals, Tasks and Context Goal User Attend wedding in Seattle Tasks Review budget Ask for time off work Book a flight to Seattle Pack suitcase Check flight times Rent a car Arrange lodging C o n t e x t

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Why is careful task development important? Your test is only as good as your tasks Artificial tasks can yield irrelevant data Tasks should be determined by user data Brainstorm tasks with development team Server logs Help desk / phone operators Observe users Interview users Task Development for Usability Testing Identifying tasks from user data

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Task Development for Usability Testing Writing effective tasks A good task is Authentic Worded in users language, not the systems Unambiguous Not unnecessarily repetitive Written concisely A good task also Has a definite solution Provides sufficient context Avoids system cues

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Well-written tasks simulate an actual situation by giving the participant a working context. Task w/ Context: You are attending a friends wedding in Seattle and would like to fly there after work on Friday, October 11. You need to return before work the following Monday. Book the shortest round-trip flight that meets your needs. Goal User Attend wedding in Seattle Task Book a flight to Seattle Initial Task: Book a flight from Indianapolis to Seattle for the weekend. Task Development for Usability Testing Writing effective tasks C o n t e x t

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Create two tasks for either Amazon.com or Hotmail.com Task Development for Usability Testing Task Generation Activity Remember! A good task is Authentic Worded in users language, not the systems Unambiguous Not unnecessarily repetitive Written concisely A good task also Has a definite solution Provides sufficient context Avoids system cues

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY Designing with Users in Mind: RECAP User survey About Usability Consulting Services Integrating UCD into the software development process UCD challenges shared UCD strategies shared UCS usability testing methodology Task development guidelines Questions & Answers

Usability Consulting Services, INDIANA UNIVERSITY University Information Technology Services Indiana University http://www.indiana.edu/~usable Questions and comments?

usability consulting services, indiana university designing with users in mind usability consulting...

Documents