Chapter 9 Summary
Ensuring Usability
Ron Schulz, Joseph Haack
Objectives and Outcomes
-characterize usability and understand the crucial role that its principles play in allowing people to accomplish tasks.
-understand factors that characterize usability and usability testing.
-differentiate and use and use text based testing, expert based testing, and user based testing
-identify, plan, and conduct various types of usability tests based on user and task analysis.
-define accessibility and understand the relationship between accessibility and usability.
Characterizing Usability
-usability is the process of putting user concerns and needs first over text features.
-the meaning of the term "text" has been expanded in this chapter to include: a combination of written words and visuals.
Critical principles of usability:
learnability
efficiency
memorability
error recovery
satisfaction
Characterizing Usability Testing
-Definition of: a process that gathers specific information about use from those who are similar to the intended users.
Purposes:
Immediate- ID problems prior to text's release
Long-term- to maintain a historical record of benchmarks and previous results to used for reference during development
-provides info about the way the users think, believe, feel and perform
-Usability testing ensures high-quality texts.
-Limitations: results are only as good as the test itself. They can’t be conducted on everyone in every situation. Keep the following in mind when designing a test: participants, situation, techniques, and procedures.
Types of Usability Testing
Text-based: incorporates checklists, readability tests, and computer programs to assess a text's features.
-Microsoft Word provides 2 types of readability test scores: Flesch Reading Ease (indicates how easy the text is to read), and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (rates text based on US grade level).
Expert-Based: used for assessing technical accuracy, selecting supporting evidence, and identifying the level of detail.
User-Based: gets information based on users. The US government urges the use of such testing because of its importance.
Concurrent Testing- creates realistic scenarios for the user to respond to
Retrospective Testing- includes questionnaires, interviews, focus groups and audience feedback cards.
Conducting Usability Testing
Consider the following issues when planning testing:
1. Goals
2. Criticality
3. Constraints
4. Schedule
5. Involvement
6. Timing
7. Goodness of fit
8. Ease of use
9. Usable Form
10. Updating
User Analysis- investigating the ways users think and how they differ individually. Usability is determined by how well the text works for users who want to accomplish certain tasks.
Task Analysis- selecting representative users who fit the target profile. Be sure to consider the following criteria that the users will face: task steps, resources, constraints, task environment, problems, and frustrations.
Implementing the test plan (steps)
1. Locate Representative Test Participants
2. Develop Strategies and Pilot Test for Inquiry
3. Identify and Prepare a Test Locations and Materials
4. Explain the Test Procedures to Participants
5. Conduct the Tests
Reporting Test Results
First, review data- then determine the critical findings. Then, organize the findings into prioritized categories. Once categories are organized and established, prepare a test report that includes the procedures, participants and findings.
Ensuring Accessibility
Accessibility focuses on providing access to information and services- especially to those who have disabilities (mobility, hearing, cognition, vision).
Principles of Accessibility:
· Equitable use
· flexibility in use
· simple and intuitive use
· perceptible information
· tolerance for error
· low physical effort
· size and space for approach and use
Accessibility and Electronic Communication
Websites need to be aware of and accommodating to their diverse audiences in order to optimize their objectives of sharing information.
Accessibility and Gov’t Regulations
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that the electronic and information technology of federal agencies, vendors and contractors must be accessible to ALL people with disabilities.
