Download - Measuring and Testing Website Usability

Measuring and Testing Website Usability

Weimin HouSenior UX [email protected]

MavenMini: Web User Experience (UX)August 11, 2016

1738 Elton Rd., Suite 138, Silver Spring, Maryland 20903

@userworks; 301-431-0500; www.userworks.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.userworks.com/

AgendaA brief overview of my background Website usability basicsMethods to measure and test website usability and related tools/resources‣Moderated usability testing

• Remote and in-person• Mobile testing

‣Heuristic and accessibility evaluation‣Other evaluation methods and resources

Usability testing books and additional online resourcesQ & A

Note: Thought-provoking & informative rather than instructional or how-to

Measuring and Testing Website Usability MavenMini: Web User Experience

@UserWorks 8/11/20162

About MePh.D. in information systems, Human-Computer Interaction track, UMBC‣Now the Human-Centered Computing (HCC) program, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy

Started working at UserWorks in 2008UserWorks, Inc.: A local user experience design and usability research firm‣Founded by Dr. Dick Horst in 1989‣Served over 250 clients: private sectors, government, non-profits, and academic institutions‣Has 11 staff members; 8 technical, with backgrounds in

• Cognitive psychology• Computer science• Human computer interaction• Human factors engineering• Information architecture and interface design• Information technology

‣Has participant databases with 6,000+ local / 12,000+ nation-wide volunteers



http://informationsystems.umbc.edu/home/graduate-programs/master-of-science-programs/master-of-science-in-human-centered-computing-hcc/

http://informationsystems.umbc.edu/home/graduate-programs/doctor-of-philosophy-programs/doctor-of-philosophy-in-human-centered-computing-hcc/

http://www.userworks.com/

Variety of User-Centered Design Methods



Research User interviews User and task analysis Stakeholder interviews Focus groups Online surveys Web analytics Ethnographic/ contextual

inquiries

Design Workflow mapping User personas Card sorting Wireframes Prototyping Visual design Plain language content Style guides

Evaluation Usability testing Heuristic/expert reviews Accessibility evaluation Eye tracking Readability analysis and

comprehension testing

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Website Usability BasicsUsability definition‣The extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with

effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use. (International Organization for Standardization 9241-11)

Important to:‣Recruit the right participants; consider:

• New or returning visitors; children or adults; professionals or general public; doctors or patients/caregivers; people with disabilities

‣Focus on the tasks that users seek to complete‣Observe actual user behavior

• Nielsen Norman Group article: First Rule of Usability? Don't Listen to Users



https://www.nngroup.com/articles/first-rule-of-usability-dont-listen-to-users/

Methods to Measure and Test Website Usability

Measuring and Testing Website Usability MavenMini: Web User Experience @userworks.com 8/11/2016

One-on-one Moderated Usability TestingResearcher interacts with the participant throughout the entire testing sessionGood for testing all website aspects:

Can evaluate an entire website or can focus on certain functionality, features, or sections

Can be conducted in-person or remotely: ‣ In-person - researcher and participant interact face-to-face‣Remote - researcher and participant are not at the same location, but share researcher’s computer

screen using web conferencing software (such as GoToMeeting or WebEx); they talk though computer audio or phone



‣ information architecture (IA)‣ content (readability and comprehension)‣navigation

‣ search and other functionalities‣ accessibility ‣ visual design, layout, etc.

https://www.gotomeeting.com/

https://www.webex.com/

Typical Moderated Usability Test Procedures1) Technical setup (for remote sessions):2) Study introduction 3) Background questions4) Pre-defined task scenarios ‣Observe participant’s behavior‣Use “Think aloud” protocol and appropriate probing/follow up questions

5) Post-task questionnaire to collect user satisfaction, such as System Usability Scale (SUS)

6) Debrief on participant’s overall experience, the usefulness of the content, and the participant’s suggestions for improvement



https://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/system-usability-scale.html

Video: Remote Moderated Usability Testing (1:46)



https://youtu.be/NsWjmQXdKao

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Moderated Mobile TestingCan be conducted in-person or remotely, but both require specific setup‣Useful apps and software tools: AirPlay, Zoom, Join.me, Mobizen, etc.



Possible setup for an in-person mobile usability test Remote mobile usability test in session

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Moderated Mobile Testing Resources In-person mobile testing: ‣Usability Testing Of Mobile Applications: A Step-By-Step Guide, by Justin Mifsud

Remote mobile testing: ‣An article by two of my colleagues: Dana Douglas and Tristan Wilson, Hold the Phone

: A Primer on Remote Mobile Usability Testing, User Experience Magazine, 2016. ‣Their presentation at the annual UXPA International conference in June 2016 :

Tips and Tools for Testing Mobile Interactions Remotely (and On a Budget!)



http://usabilitygeek.com/usability-testing-mobile-applications/

http://uxpamagazine.org/hold-the-phone

http://uxpamagazine.org/hold-the-phone

http://www.slideshare.net/UXPA/tips-and-tools-for-testing-mobile-interactions-remotely-and-on-a-budget

Books on Moderating Usability Tests Usability Testing Essentials: Ready, Set...Test!, by Carol Barnum, 2010 Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problem

s, by Steve Krug, 2009

Moderating Usability Tests: Principles and Practices for Interacting, by Joseph S. Dumas and Beth A. Loring, 2008

Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests, by Jeffrey Rubin and Dana Chisnell, 2008

A Practical Guide to Usability Testing, by Joseph S. Dumas and Janice C. Redish, 1999



http://smile.amazon.com/dp/012375092X

http://smile.amazon.com/dp/0321657292





Heuristic and Accessibility EvaluationConducted by UX professionals who are familiar with industry guidelines, standards,

and best practices; no real website users involvedUsually performed before usability testing to get familiar with the product and to

identify the usability tasks to use during testingAccessibility evaluation can be included in overall heuristic evaluation‣Use automated browser and software tools, such as the WAVE toolbar‣Use assistive technologies (screen readers, magnifiers, voice recognition software)‣Can be completed by an assistive technology user



Other Evaluation Methods and ResourcesEye tracking‣ Eye Tracking in User Experience Design, edited by Jennifer Romano Bergstrom and Andrew Schall, 2014‣ Eye Tracking the User Experience: A Practical Guide to Research, by Aga Bojko, 2013

Unmoderated usability testing‣ Researcher not present when participants complete tasks or provide feedback‣ Participant choosing the time and location convenient to them, following automated scripts and procedures‣ Good for:

• Testing simple and straightforward tasks• Collecting data from a large number of participants• Evaluating specific website aspects, such as IA and layout

‣ Including online card sorting, tree testing, first-click testing, A/B testing, etc.‣ See a comprehensive list of remote usability and UX research tools

Web analytics‣ Google Analytics, including search reports‣ American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)‣ Crazy Egg‣ Inspectlet





http://remoteresear.ch/tools/

https://analytics.google.com/

http://www.theacsi.org/

https://www.crazyegg.com/

https://www.inspectlet.com/

Additional Resources on Website Usability Usability.gov User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA) Boxes and Arrows Nielson Norman Group articles Smashing Magazine UsabilityGeek User Interface Engineering (UIE) Articles UXmatters WebAIM accessibility articles



https://www.usability.gov/

http://uxpa.org/

http://boxesandarrows.com/

https://www.nngroup.com/topic/web-usability/

https://www.smashingmagazine.com/

http://usabilitygeek.com/

https://articles.uie.com/all/

http://www.uxmatters.com/

http://webaim.org/

Thank You!

16Measuring and Testing Website Usability MavenMini: Web User Experience @UserWorks 8/11/2016

Contact Information‣Weimin Hou: [email protected]

UserWorks‣ @userworks

‣ www.facebook.com/userworks

‣Slides: www.userworks.com/slides.html

mailto:[email protected]

https://twitter.com/userworks

https://www.facebook.com/userworks

http://www.userworks.com/slides.html