Project Overview
Prompt. The main focus of usability is in helping users accomplish goals. Norman also describes the two main functions of usability as discoverability and understandability. Using these theories, theories of affordances, and additional sources (such as Nathan Shedroff) you will design a usability test, and pilot it with a group of 3 test participants. Choosing a specific digital or tangible tool, OR a physical environment, you will will create and implement a usability test to identify and discover assets and problems within the user experience. You may choose from the following (below) to define the specific goals of the test, OR propose another test of your choosing (and get approval from Tania for it). When selecting a study topic, think about things that you yourself have had trouble doing or possibly do all the time but didn’t always find it easy. Important considerations for your study are:
Depending on what you choose to do, you should give your users a task of some sort. Or, you may leave it open ended if the interface or study is small enough that you can still see patterns (like using a simple iPhone app.)
Selecting something to study that is complex enough to provide you a depth of study (like Google Calendar), but not so complex that your users need prior training just to understand what it’s even accomplishing (like GIS software, for instance.)
General Categories
Navigating somewhere
- Using NCSUs online campus map to navigate to a building they have never been to before.
- Navigate to the Visualization Studio in DH Hill
- Taking the CAT bus from Main Campus to downtown
- Taking the Wolfline from Main Campus to Centennial
Accessing and downloading
- Accessing and reading a course reserve through Moodle.
- Downloading and listening to an Ebook from Audible on your phone.
- Watching an Amazon video on your iPad or Phone offline.
Playing and Socializing
- Creating an Event on Facebook
- Creating a Group on Vimeo and Inviting members
- Having a video call through Google Hangout
- Playing a specific video game on your phone
Your test subjects should have no prior knowledge of the activity that you are asking them to do. OR, you should intentionally select your test subjects to address the issue of prior knowledge. For instance, you might choose to investigate how much of a learning curve is involved in creating an Event on FB, in which case you might choose one test subject who has done the task many times, one that has done the task once and one who has never done it.