Usability Basics for the
Information ProfessionalUta Hussong-Christian
Jane NicholsSeptember 20, 2012
SLA Oregon Chapter
we are…
Uta
Jane
overview
• Testing feedback > Uta• What > Jane• Methods > Uta/Jane• Using usability data > Uta• Reporting > Jane• Q & A
what is usability?
• Usability refers to how well your users can learn and use your web site
• And, refers to the methods used to evaluate your user’s experience of your site
U. S. D. H. H. S., “Usability Basics”
usability and user experience
Usability• “Can the user accomplish
their goal?”• Did they choose the right
form (book, article, etc.) for their request?
User experience• “Did the user have as
delightful an experience as possible?”
• Were they able to move from identifying a citation in a database to filling out a request form and go back to the database or their next task with feeling of ease?
Mifsud, “The difference between usability and user experience”
5 usability attributes
• Ease of learning• Efficiency• Memorability• Error frequency and severity• Subjective satisfaction
U.S.D.H.H.S. , “Usability Basics”
Can new users learn your site well enough to accomplish basic tasks?
Ease of learningEfficiency of useMemorabilityError frequency and severitySubjective satisfaction
Can I locate the journal I want with ease?
U.S.D.H.H.S. , “Usability Basics”
How quickly can tasks be completed after the design has been learned?
Ease of learningEfficiencyMemorabilityError frequency and severitySubjective satisfaction
Nielsen, “Usability 101”U.S.D.H.H.S., “Usability Basics”
Can I navigate to the journal quickly?
When your users return to your site after not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency?
Ease of learningEfficiency of useMemorabilityError frequency and severitySubjective satisfaction
Can I get back to the journal when I want to next week?
Nielsen, “Usability 101”U.S.D.H.H.S., “Usability Basics”
How often do users make errors, how serious are they & how easily do they recover?
Ease of learningEfficiency of useMemorabilityError frequency and severitySubjective satisfaction
After I secured the article I wanted, I searched the vendors’ site for related topics.
How do I return to the libraries journal list?
U.S.D.H.H.SU.S.D.H.H.S., “Usability Basics”U.S.D.H.., “Usability Basics
Nielsen, “Usability 101”U.S.D.H.H.S., “Usability Basics”
How much does the user like using the system?
Ease of learningEfficiency of useMemorabilityError frequency and severitySubjective satisfaction
U.S.D.H.H.S., “Usability Basics”
Fun factor, or at least pleasing
more about user experience
Morville, “User Experience Design”
Q: How many usability experts does it take to change a light bulb?
A: It might well be four: • 2 to conduct a field study and task analysis to
determine whether people really need light• 1 to observe the user who actually screws in the
light bulb• 1 to control the video camera filming the event
Nielsen, “Guerrilla HCI”
getting started
Step-by-Step Usability Guide
Plan
Analyze
Design
Test & Refine
Adapted from U.S.D.H.H. S., “Visual map”
UsabilityNet.org, “Methods table”
• heuristic evaluation• task analysis• x’s/o’s
3 methods
heuristic (adj)
encouraging a person to learn, discover, understand, or solve
problems on his or her own, as by experimenting, evaluating
possible answers or solutions, or by trial and error
Dictionary.com, “Heuristic”
heuristic evaluationWhat
– systematic inspection of a user interface design for usability
When– any time! Especially useful before you start redesigning/testing with
users
Why– it’s cheap and easy, with a very high return on investment
What you’ll get from it– a (page or process) design that’s had a lot of eyes looking at it intensely
for flaws. Guaranteed improvement and therefore a good baseline from which to start testing with users
Nielsen, “Heuristic evaluation”
10 heuristics• Visibility of system status• Match between system and the real world• User control and freedom • Consistency and standards• Error prevention • Recognition rather than recall • Flexibility and efficiency of use • Aesthetic and minimalist • Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors • Help and documentation
Nielsen, “10 Usability Heuristics”
System Status ? Recognition?
System-Real World Match?
Help? System-Real World Match?
Error Prevention? Minimalist?
heuristics in action
redesign 1Improved system status and no need for recall
Use of patron-centered language
Stepwise help and patron-centered language
Robust help options
redesign 2
Further simplified language and options.
task-based usability testingWhat
– involves watching people trying to use something for its intended purpose
When – usually done at a point when you have a design/process/architecture
that has been created using good design principles and as user-centered as you can make it
Why– EVERYTHING should be useful, usable, desirable, valuable, findable,
accessible, and credible
What you’ll get from it – a very humbling experience– data that can be used to inform (re)design decisions
Rubin & Chisnell, Handbook
task-based script
“Submit a question to the Reference staff during non-business hours.”
Process:• write task that directs someone to find information or complete a task utilizing your
website.• print the task or write it out on a slip of paper• recruit users to participate in the test• tell them that they are helping you test your site; this is not a test of their abilities or
skills• present the task to them and ask them to complete it while you sit by their side• ask them to talk out loud (talk-aloud protocol) about the steps they use to complete the
task as they are doing the task• do not provide assistance while they are completing the task regardless of how they
might struggle ; stop the task if it goes on overly long (more than 3-5 minutes)• thank your participants for helping you test your site
“…tempted to just choose first option instead of going to sentence below.”
“…put them side by side.”
as the user sees it!“No online full text…”
line is loud and clear. It just says to me that it is not available at OSU.”
“Don’t use too many words. I don’t need to
read so much.”
Foster & Gibbons, Studying Students
x’s/o’sWhat
– the user is asked to cross out or circle elements in a design
When – very flexible, can be included as part of a usability test session or on
its own– can be conducted at your library or another convenient location– great when you want quick feedback
Why– it’s easier for users to respond to a discrete question, “what would
you add/remove?” than an open-ended question like “what would you change?”
What you’ll get from it– a pretty clear indication of what users say they will/won’t use and
what they’d like to see in the design
Tawatao et al., “LibGuides”Hussong-Christian, Nichols, Ward,
“But I’m Not a Usability Expert” NWILL 2011
x’s/o’s script“Now I'd like to know more about what specifically you use/don't use or like/dislike about the content on this page.” Instructions:
• circle any items on the page you like and use the most• cross out any items on the page you don't like or use• add any items not on the page you would like to have there
for your own use
Hussong-Christian, Nichols, Ward, “But I’m Not a Usability Expert
got data, now what?
decide on & implement changes
• deciding– severity vs. priority
• implementing– head slappers– cheap hits– test subjects may supply this
”
Clark, “Issue Priority and Severity”Krug, Don’t Make Me Think
your turn
“…tempted to just choose first option instead of going to sentence below.”
“…put them side by side.”
suggest 1 change“No online full text…”
line is loud and clear. It just says to me that it is not available at OSU.”
“Don’t use too many words. I don’t need to
read so much.”
document & communicate findings
Quesenbery, “Reporting Usability Results”
Quesenbery, “Reporting Usability Results”
What is most important to convey?– Participants– What was tested? Why? Methods used?– Results, prioritized by severity– Recommendations
Who is the audience of the report? – High level stakeholders? You?
Theofanos and Quesenbery, Journal of Usability Studies
NIST, “Common Industry Format”
OSUL&P Usability Team, “OSUPressSummary.doc”
Tawatao et al., “LibGuides”
retest
“The first few iterations can probably be expected to result in major gains in usability as the true "usability catastrophes" are found and fixed.”
Nielsen, “Iterative user-interface design”
free/low cost tools and methods
– Usabilla – site rating– Google Analytics - web traffic– Concept Feedback – website feedback– CrazyEgg – heatmap + more (free trial)– ChalkMark - first click testing (free trial)– BB Flashback Express – screen recording
Tomlin, “24 Usability Testing Tools”
just…
Some rights reserved by jakeandlindsay
?
references & resourcesClark, P. (n.d.). Issue priority and severity. Retrieved from
http://www.stickyminds.com/sitewide.asp?Function=FEATUREDCOLUMN&ObjectId=10119&ObjectType=ARTCOL&btntopic=artcol
Foster, N.F., & Gibbons, S. (2007). Studying students: The undergraduate research project at the University of Rochester. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/publications/booksanddigitalresources/digital/Foster-Gibbons_cmpd.pdf
Gaffney, M. (2009). Reflecting usability engineering goals in interlibrary loan user interfaces. Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve, 19, 291-298. doi: 10.1080/10723030903278366
Hussong-Christian, U., Nichols, J., & Ward, J. (2011). “But I’m not a usability expert”: Testing tips for the resource sharing professional. Northwest Interlibrary Loan & Resource Sharing Conference. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1957/23608
Krug, S. http://www.sensible.com/ Krug, S. (2000). Don't make me think!: A common sense approach to web usability. Indianapolis, Ind.: Que Corp.Lehman, T., & Nikkel, T. (2008). Making Library Web Sites Usable: a LITA Guide. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Retrieved
from http://www.neal-schuman.com/uploads/pdf/0139-making-library-web-sites-usable--a-lita-guide.pdfMifsud, J. (2011). The difference (and relationship) between usability and user experience . Retrieved from
http://usabilitygeek.com/the-difference-between-usability-and-user-experience/Morville, P. http://findability.org/ or http://semanticstudios.com/Morville, P. (2004). User experience design. Retrieved from http://semanticstudios.com/publications/semantics/000029.php Nielsen, J. http://www.useit.com/ Nielsen, J. (2005). 10 usability heuristics. Retrieved from http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html
Nielsen, J. (2005). Heuristic evaluation. Retrieved from http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristicNielsen, J. (2004). Guerrilla HCI: Using discount usability engineering to penetrate the intimidation barrier. Retrieved from
http://www.useit.com/papers/guerrilla_hci.htmlNielsen, J. (1993). Iterative user-interface design. Computer, 26(11), 32-41. doi: 10.1109/2.241424Nielsen, J. (n.d.). Usability 101: Introduction to usability. Retrieved from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030825.html
references & resourcesNielsen Norman Group. (2011). User experience – our definition. Retrieved from
http://www.nngroup.com/about/userexperience.htmlNIST. (n.d.). Common industry format – usability reporting elements. Retrieved from
http://zing.ncsl.nist.gov/iusr/formative/IUSR_Formative/index.htmlOSUL&P Usability Team. OSUPressSummary.doc. Retrieved from https://
wiki.library.oregonstate.edu/confluence/pages/worddav/preview.action?fileName=OSUPressSummary.doc&pageId=7013102
Quesenbery, W. (2005). Reporting usability results. Retrieved from http://wqusability.com/handouts/reporting_usability.pdfRibeirinho, A. (2007). The User Experience Honeycomb. Retrieved from
http://blog.delaranja.com/the-user-experience-honeycomb/Rubin, J., & Chisnell, D. (2008). Handbook of usability testing: How to plan, design, and conduct effective tests. Indianapolis, IN:
Wiley Pub. “start”. Flickr user jakeandlindsay. Retrieved from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakeandlindsay/5524669257/sizes/m/in/photostream/Tawatao, C., Hungerford, R., Ray, L., & Ward, J. (2010). LibGuides usability testing: Customizing a product to work for your users.
Retrieved from https://digital.lib.washington.edu/dspace/handle/1773/17101 Theofanos, M., & Quesenbery, W. (2005). Towards the design of effective formative test reports. Journal of Usability Studies 1(1):
30. Retrieved from http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/upa_publications/jus/2005_november/formative.pdf Tomlin, W. Craig. 24 Usability Testing Tools. Useful Usability. December 2, 2009. Retrieved from
http://www.usefulusability.com/24-usability-testing-tools/. University of Washington Libraries Usability http://www.lib.washington.edu/usability/resources/howtoUsability4lib email list http://www.library.rochester.edu/usability4lib UsabilityNet. (2006). Methods table . Retrieved from http://www.usabilitynet.org/tools/methods.htmU.S.D.H.H.S. (n.d.). Usability Basics. Retreived from http://www.usability.gov/basics/index.htmlU.S.D.H.H.S. (n.d.). Visual map. Retrieved from http://www.usability.gov/methods/process.html“User experience.” (2012). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_experience
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