Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Skolen på internettet, Nyborg User Focused Design April 24, 2003 Darlene Fichter University of Saskatchewan Overview What is user-centered design? Elements of user experience User centered-design methodology Stages of development Techniques for involving the user Usability testing User-centered design User-centered design is defined as “the practice of creating engaging, efficient user experiences.” Jesse James Garrett, The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web, 2003. User experience Jesse Garret points out that the user experiences the "totality of the web site" - not one piece separate from another. We rise and fall together.” Visible Interface Content, Architecture and Tools Invisible Web site layers Web site visitor – (knowledge) exchange Surface – visual design Skeleton – Information architecture, navigation, user experience Scope – functional requirements, content Business strategy – user needs, objectives Layers Web site visitor – (knowledge) exchange Surface – visual design Skeleton – Information architecture, navigation, user experience Scope – functional requirements, content Business strategy – user needs, objectives From layers to usability Layers are useful to show the various stages in planning But it’s not enough to do all the steps; we have to focus on users and usability Usability – relatively new field that has techniques and tests for determining what works and what doesn’t Where does usability start? It’s all about the visitor. What is usability? Ease of use Ease of learning Fitness for purpose An effective product Design for the visitor Be Be Be Be Be Be Be intuitive familiar consistent appropriate functional polite supportive School web site What is the purpose of the site? What are your goals and objectives? What are some goals? Visitors to school web sites Who are your visitors? Segment your audience to help plan content and consider needs Which groups are the most important? Why? Example Determining visitor needs Talk to your users Students, parents, teachers, community Focus groups User surveys Formal needs assessment Already have a web site? Usage reports Questions Web log analysis Search log analysis Understanding visitor needs Know their mental model Methods Peer analysis Content clustering Category prediction Cognitive walkthrough User scenarios One of the simplest & best techniques is user scenarios Invent “typical users”; give them a name, characteristics, and a backdrop Site visit plan As each “visitor” comes to the site, you describe in ideal terms what would happen. What words are they looking for on the screen? What do they want to happen next? Accessible design Visual Physical/motor skills Hearing Learning disabilities Accessibility guidelines Use clear, direct language Provide alternative content (audio/visual) Don’t rely on any one mode exclusively Use style sheets for form, not HTML Allow user control of supplemental technologies Plug-ins and java applets Ability to stop moving text, blinking, autoupdating Content – inventory Audience needs? Site goals? Page for each classroom Page for each teacher Contact information School floor plan List everything you’d like to have on your site Tip: Use a spreadsheet Calendar of events Student art work Organize your content Typical site organization problems: Information overload Jargon Mental models Insider – organizational chart Metaphors “Shopping cart” for buying on line Usability research Users find information easier if Menus or lists are in columns not rows Arranged categorical, not alphabetical Set the priority order Most used to least used If there is both a top menu and left hand side menu, only the left side will be used Creating categories & structures that work for users Card sorting List all of the content on the web site on index cards Ask people to group them and assign labels Typical organizational structures Library Site By topic Hybrid Art Biology History Teachers Students By task Find a book Find a article Art Links Biology History Especially for By audience Teachers Students Contact Us Alphabetic Books Magazines Maps Examples What is the organization structure? Topic Audience Task Alphabetical Hybrid Are there obvious chunks of “content”? Goal of navigation Reduce the cognitive effort on the part of the user by following a pattern the user easily understands Navigation Tips: Putting navigation (menus) in a place where the user looks Cluster related items Use the words on the labels that your users know and recognize Use preference testing for difficult labels Preference testing is also called “cookie” testing Focus in on troubling labels Request book from another library Interlibrary Loan Request forms Books from other libraries Home > Find Books > Search by Author Establish a sense of place Consistent logos and banners Consistent terminology Color coding Bread crumb navigation Home > Grades > Grade 8 > Science Visual design The visual design should enhance and improve the success rate, not detract Test ideas early Create mockups of just the main page test them Mockup How do you know it works? Task testing with users Task based testing Test participants: Carry out specific tasks Talk out loud as they use the site Observers Record the participants path, time on task, comments Observe Time on task Number of errors Difficulty in Navigation Understanding site structure User satisfaction Good web sites “evolve” from bad sites Continuous improvement Not a print publication Dynamic Keep improving it Evolution not revolution! User focused design by stage Goals and purpose Audience Content & organization Navigation & interactivity Page content (writing for the web) Visual design prototypes Live site feedback & evaluation Final thoughts Redesign should be an on-going process Must be based on user feedback Supplement this with observations from multiple sources Never rely on a single perspective for making adjustments Be especially wary of using your own perspective as a filter for the user’s needs Best web site www.usability.gov What font should I use? Can I scroll? What about mouseovers? What about pop down menus? Recommended books Site organization Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, 1st Edition” More books Usability & User Experience Finding out more Check out my Online columns on web design usability: www.findarticles.com More presentations on web design: library.usask.ca/~fichter Thank you Questions? Darlene Fichter library.usask.ca/~fichter/