Tom Brinck

Automatically evaluating the usability of web sites

INTRODUCTION The task of evaluating and improving the usability of websites can be daunting given the quantity of sites being produced, the frequency of updates, and the sheer size of many sites. As a result, some automated support for web designers and usability specialists will become an increasing necessity within the overall usability process. Automated usability tools can help save time and money in design and user testing, improve consistency and quality of site design, and improve the systematic application of usability standards.

User Needs Analysis

This chapter discusses the methods for understanding the user needs early in the product development cycle and how these methods can help user experience practitioners understand workflow, improve efficiency, and eliminate weak areas that cause hindrance. User needs analysis sets the foundation for the entire design process. The principal purpose of this stage of design is to define the design goals and constraints and develop an understanding of the audience and what they do. User needs analysis involves four primary activities including investigation, analysis, specification, and documentation. The functional specs are referenced throughout the design and production of the site to verify that the system being produced corresponds to the necessary functionality. Several forms of background research are used to uncover user needs such as surveys, scenarios, competitive analysis, interviews, and focus groups. These give a better idea about true user profile, user needs, and user preferences. Task analysis can also be performed to specify how the information and functionality found in the requirements analysis will be used. In addition to codifying user procedures, task analysis can also be used as a design tool.

Website design from the trenches

Most website design projects involve small to mediumsized sites consisting of between ten and fifty pages. Such projects require designers to operate on a tight schedule and a very limited budget. With tightly constrained resources, how can we maintain a high standard of design and create usable and useful products? This tutorial presents a practical approach to applying usability techniques in website design. Our design process includes techniques for project management, dealing with clients, sketching and comping techniques for quickly producing high-quality alternatives, and a set of website design guidelines.

Practical usability methods in website design

This tutorial presents a practical approach to applying usability methods to website design. Website projects are usually done on tight schedules, with limited resources, and without a well-defined approach for achieving usability. For many developers its easy to dismiss usability methods as an unnecessary overhead cost. We demonstrate how usability methods can be integrated efficiently and effectively into each stage of the website design process. Employing this process, and by using forms, checklists, and other tools to improve communication and workflow, website projects can be managed successfully achieving a highly-usable product.

CHAPTER 2 – User Needs Analysis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the methods for understanding the user needs early in the product development cycle and how these methods can help user experience practitioners understand workflow, improve efficiency, and eliminate weak areas that cause hindrance. User needs analysis sets the foundation for the entire design process. The principal purpose of this stage of design is to define the design goals and constraints and develop an understanding of the audience and what they do. User needs analysis involves four primary activities including investigation, analysis, specification, and documentation. The functional specs are referenced throughout the design and production of the site to verify that the system being produced corresponds to the necessary functionality. Several forms of background research are used to uncover user needs such as surveys, scenarios, competitive analysis, interviews, and focus groups. These give a better idea about true user profile, user needs, and user preferences. Task analysis can also be performed to specify how the information and functionality found in the requirements analysis will be used. In addition to codifying user procedures, task analysis can also be used as a design tool.

Pre-Launch and Post-Launch

This chapter reviews the procedures that should accompany the approach to the launch as well as ways to track and target changes once the Web site is up and running. The steps involved in launching a site are as critical and relevant to success as requirements analysis, writing, or page layout. Just prior to the launch, extensive final quality assurance is required, and at launch, several critical items must be tested. After launch, it is necessary to promote and maintain the site and to continue testing and evaluating its performance. A prelaunch schedule can keep progress on track and remind the owner of the smaller issues that often lead to delays. Testing aside, some preparation is necessary for the final launch date. One of the crucial planning steps is to make sure to select and register the domain name before launch. Quality assurance (QA) processes should occur throughout the production process. QA needs to start at the beginning of a project and never end. While QA is continuous, it reaches its pinnacle in the final stages of the production process before the Web site is launched.

Target Audience and Target Platforms

This chapter looks at defining who the users are. In understanding the target audience, the need is not only to understand specific personal attributes, but also to understand what types of computers and software they are using, that is, the target platform. Specific discussions are offered on the ways people vary. Market segment, disabilities, education, and experience are examples of individual differences that can have an effect on user needs. There are differences in user preference settings and international differences. Beyond differences in people, there are hardware and software differences in the areas of operating systems, monitors, browsers, and networks. A scenario is an approach for clarifying exactly who these people are. The goal of a scenario is to make sure that the site is not merely theoretically usable, but that it actually serves the needs of specific people in real life. A scenario brings out additional functional requirements and ideas for the user interface that are driven by user profiles and context. This audience specification can be used for recruiting potential users for surveys and user testing, so the demographics should be clear enough to reproduce accurately.

Usability in Software Development

This chapter focuses on production issues that are likely to continue to cause problems irrespective of the current version of HTML standards. Some overlap is found with the usability issues, but here techniques for preventing those problems during development have been discussed. This chapter covers usability issues in the production process, Web site engineering techniques, engineering Web site components, and usability of web technologies. Many of the usability problems that are created during the software development process relate to the extra time it takes users to accomplish their tasks. Download time and system performance time continue to be among the top user complaints. Other issues are caused by server-side problems, inconsistent development practices within a site, changes to a site over time, and poor use of the other non-HTML technologies. The software development phase of the Web site development cycle is the last chance to prevent usability problems prior to final testing. It is also a time when unforeseen issues can arise, often where they are not expected.

Usability Throughout the Design Process

This chapter examines how usability can be achieved, with a focus on planning, process management, documentation, and verification. Design process is at least as important as design principles. Planning and method are the only reliable, effective means to achieving usability within other design constraints. A usability method is any technique used to create a design from a user-centered perspective. This starts from the outset of a project, where the target audience is defined. Two broad categories of usability methods exist: those that gather data about the behavior of actual users and those that can be applied even without users present. Usability needs to be a part of every step of the design process. The approach is pervasive usability—integrating usability into everything we do. The philosophy is that usability should not be an add-on, but that everyday processes should be modified to be user-centered. Usability needs to be a pervasive element of the entire work process to achieve the most usable Web site possible. By formalizing the design process and adopting appropriate documentation, these methods will save time in the long run.