Human Computer Interaction - Book Report/Review Example

Human-Computer Interaction Introduction This research report aims to provide a detailed analysis of prominent online shopping site Ebay and develop an understanding of its users, their tasks, and the environment in which, they work. For this analysis, I have chosen to utilize the dual methods of surveying and task analysis. I will carry out the overall research in these areas in order to analyze the workings and assessment of the online website users. Accordingly, I have chosen the website www.Ebay.com for the assessment of the user experience with this particular website. EBay.com Ebay.com is an online website that provides a forum for online shopping (Spenser 2006). By using this website users can purchase variety of products online. These products include books, electronics, computer products, and nearly everything imaginable which can be both bought and sold (eBay, 2009). Survey A survey is a comprehensive study of a marketplace or environment to collect data on peoples’ attitudes, impressions, opinions, satisfaction level, etc., by asking a sector of the population (BusinessDictionary, 2009). Surveys play a crucial part in collection of data (Ornstein 1998). In this section, I will research Ebay.com in order to gain an understanding of its users, their tasks, and the environment in which they work. I will analyze the website regarding its functionality and accessibility. Types of User: In this survey, we can have variety of user classes. Accordingly, users can be students who want to purchase a book or CD online. Another type of user would be someone who purchases computers for his or her job. Another class of users would be traders who are providing types of products to people around the world using this website. Survey Data: For this purpose, I will develop an ebay.com survey form that will be distributed among all users to find their response against set questions. This form can be questionnaire based. I will provide different options and user will chose the appropriate one. After the survey we will gather the data and analyze the overall results. Appropriateness of Method This method is appropriate for ebay.com, because we can restrict the user to limited answers. Through this method we have a limited area of response. In this way we are able to have set answers and this improves our facility regarding the better analysis according to defined areas. Advantages The data collection through surveying is usually more advantageous than any other strategy of data collection because a wide amount of data is obtained by the help of different people (Ornstein 1998). Websites are accessed by many users due to which, people are knowledgeable about them and their working. The survey forms that are used for collection of data about websites prove to be much more significant as people share their opinions about their experiences with the websites. This research method is advantageous for the ebay.com survey because this is a really simple way for the website analysis. In this method, we have simple way of working and assessing the data. In this scenario, the user can easily provide the information and feel easy regarding answering the question. We have ensured that the questions are easily accessible, clear and straightforward and as a result, we hope to gain as wide a response rate as possible. Weaknesses Surveying also has some disadvantages or weaknesses. Sometimes people are not interested in filling in the surveys. If the surveys are lengthy, people usually skip several points that are relevant (Groves 1989). Surveys can also be filled wrongly that can lead to erroneous data collection (Groves 1989). The survey is dedicated to extract the data from the user. In case of user dissatisfaction regarding the website he/she will ignore some of the features and answer the questions in a wrong way. This condition is difficult for analyzing the better user experience. Other weaknesses may also include an inability to get respondents as well as a skewed list of respondents. Our challenge will be to make our respondents reflective of the overall demographic of the Ebay.com user. Ebay.com Survey In the survey of the ebay.com we will follow the following steps, given by ( eHow, 2009): -Identify the Goals of the Survey In this phase we will identify the basic goals of the ebay.com survey. For this reason we have basic goals like assessment of the user experience for the ebay.com website. In this survey we want to assess the website visibility, usability, working structure, and handling. -Selecting the Survey Tools For this survey we use the close ended questioners for the user experience assessment for the ebay.com website. -Compose the Online Survey Questions In this survey we will have such types of questions: Is website is easy to use: Yes, No Are colors of website appropriate: Yes, No Does the website provide the user support: Yes, No -Test the Survey In this survey we will test each question and assess its possible outcomes. This provides us advantage regarding the assessment of the basic results for the particular question. At the end of survey we will be able to get better website analysis outcomes those are not ambiguous. -Distribute the Online Survey We will distribute the survey and ask for retiring them after a specified amount of time. We can also conduct survey in the computer lab where internet facility is available. -Calculate the Outcome After a detailed analysis of the website we will assess the overall performance parameters of the website and access the user experience for the website working and assessment. Task analysis The next method I have selected for ebay.com website is the task analysis. Task analysis is a method which checks how people actually deal with the software or web site (UsabilityFirst, 2005). Task analysis deal with the fact about how a task is accomplished. During the accomplishment of a task, all the activities that are done in between are assessed by the analyst (Kirwan and Ainsworth 1992). Through this method I will try to assess the ebay.com website’s online working and operational experience. Through this study we can have a better overview of the website working and performance for a user who is interested in the online shopping. Types of User: This research for the ebay.com website through the task analysis we have the same class of users for instance, student, traders, common people and employees, etc. Survey Data: The survey data of the ebay.com website is about the website usability, screen interface, working management, easy of use and navigation. This data can be in form of numerical values those are given to the website usability factors. Appropriateness of Method The method of inquiry is really effective for website analysis. We can implement this method of inquiry for ebay.com. Its main implementation is for medium-sized projects and their analysis. Advantages There are numerous advantages to this technique and I will elaborate upon them further below. Firstly, this technique is quite effective in that it provides a thorough analysis of the website’s usability and effectiveness (Kirwan and Ainsworth 1992). Accordingly, this technique is better for the analysis of the complex-type user projects. As each and every stage of task performance is assessed, therefore, the end results give a clarified version of processing of a system. In addition, the tasks that are preferred by the users are to be performed are also found out (Shepherd 1985). In the case of an ebay.com web analysis, we can break the whole large study into small workable subtasks. In this respect, the smaller components of the overall project will help make sense of the larger picture, thus contributing to a more thorough holistic analysis. Weaknesses During task analysis, in case of missing any crucial task or procedure, the outcome is erroneous due to which, the task analysis as a whole can be erroneous. There are also chances of human error in analyzing a task (Kirwan and Ainsworth 1992). Weaknesses will become more and more apparent as this project continues along its course of action. This method of user experience analysis is complex to implement as it requires accurate task division and analysis. We also need to pay attention to the roll-up subtask for calculating the main task. Accordingly, ensuring that our sample population is representative is something else we will need to ensure is happening. Ebay.com Survey Through the utilization of the task analysis usability and user needs assessment technique, now I will present the detailed analysis of the Ebay.com. The main phases are, given by (Crandall, 2006): -Task Recognition In this phase we will recognize the main task of the user requirements and needs assessment for the workings of Ebay.com. We need to assess the users’ opinion for the Ebay.com. -Sub-tasking In this phase I will divide the overall task of the user analysis of the gaining an understanding of users, their task, and the environment in which they work. The division for the main subtasks: Visibility Navigation User Help Usability Service center Design Understandability -Analysis In this stage of the user data analysis we have the entire data regarding the user experience. We analyze this data for the assessment of the possible outcomes and errors. Then errors are removed and data is prepared for the result assessment. -Merging Subtasks This phase is use to combine all the subdivisions to obtain the final outcome. This can be in the form of the numerical data. - Assessment In this phase we analyze the overall tasks results and produce the final outcome of the project of website analysis. In the end I have found that Ebay.com is better and user friendly website. This website is developed for offering better user experience and better website efficiency. Conclusion In this report, I have presented detailed overview of the Ebay.com website analysis for gaining an understanding of its users, their tasks, and the environment in which they work. In this report, I have tried to analyze the overall factors regarding website analysis. Through the detailed analysis of this website I have learnt that survey is the best way for the website analysis because it is easiest to use for respondents. Task 1: Word Count: 1630 Part 2 Human-computer interaction is a field engaged with the design, assessment and accomplishment of interactive computing systems for human utilization and with the study of key events adjacent to them (Hewett, et al., 2009). In this part I will present an evaluation plan for Ebay.com web site. Ebay.com Website Evaluation Plan Things to Consider Response: Test Goals 1-What will be the focus of the test? 2-How will these issues be addressed during the test? 1 Seeking to conduct a detailed analysis of Ebay.com’s users, their task, and the environment in which they work, I have proposed a survey method. 2- I have conducted two user experience analysis techniques for the addressing issues; Task analysis Survey Formative or Summative? 1-Would this be a one-off summative test or would it be iterative (test – feed results into the design and re-test). Please justify your answer This is a summative test as it will explore people’s perceptions of an online site and will grade their results following a standard rubric. The survey technique will be employed to this end. Environment 1- Laboratory or Field? 2- What are the key factors determining choice? 3- What technology is needed? 1- For this research we have chosen survey and task analyses techniques. The environment will be virtual and the tests will be online. We can perform the survey in filed by distributing the survey forms and asking for next day return. In the task analysis technique we perform the analyses in lab. 2- Since Ebay.com operates online, this is the only way in which we can contact its users. 3- Here we will require computer systems and internet connection. Choice of Participants 1- Who should test this site? describe the target user group(s). 2- How many users? 1- these people can test the website. Any common person want to perform online shopping Business people Student Researcher Web designer Quality assurance people 2- Here I have presented the number of people for each user experience technique Task analysis 3, 4 people for presenting the data (this is a small, though appropriate number for this analysis). Survey 5-8 people for conducting the survey Test Procedures and Design 1-What are you going to get users to do? 2- What are the key tasks they will perform? 3-Is there an order of importance? 4-How will you conduct the tests? Single users, pairs? 5-What will you record? 6-What are your key measures of usability? 7-Are any specific documents required? (e.g. instructions, consent forms?) If so what are they and why are they needed? 1-user will visit the website and perform the tasks we will record their experience for the website working. 2-Useablity analysis, user support analysis, website design analyses, performance analysis 3-No- we can test each aspect of website in any order. The order of features analysis does not matter because we have to analyze the website for effective working. 4-for the both techniques (task analysis, survey) we can test the website in both single as well as pairs. The user experience for website is needed. The user support is also a main factor. 5-here we will record the user data that is extracted from the research. This will be in form of survey and numerical figures (points) given against website working and functionality. 6- Usability main measures: Design efficiency Effectiveness Efficiency Ease of use Understandability 7-Yes, consent forms will be prepared and will be used to ensure that all respondents are voluntary. References eHow (2009), How to Conduct an Online Customer Survey, Retrieved 08 21, 2009, from http://www.ehow.com/how_2054820_conduct-online-customer-survey.html BusinessDictionary (2009), Survey, Retrieved August 22, 2009, from BusinessDictionary.Com: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/survey.html Crandall, B. K (2006), Working minds A practitioner's guide to cognitive task analysis, MIT Press. eBay (2009), About eBay, Retrieved August 22, 2009, from eBay.com: http://pages.ebay.com/aboutebay.html Groves, R.M (1989), Survey Errors and Survey Costs, Wiley, New York. Hackos, JoAnn T. and Redish, Janice C (1998), User and Task Analysis for Interface Design, Wiley, New York. Hewett, Baecker, Card, Carey, Gasen, Mantei, et al (2009), ACM SIGCHI Curricula for Human-Computer Interaction, Retrieved August 22, 2009, from sigchi.org: http://sigchi.org/cdg/cdg2.html#D3 Kirwan, B. and Ainsworth, L. (Eds.) (1992), A guide to task analysis, Taylor and Francis, London. Ornstein, M.D (1998), "Survey Research." Current Sociology, 46, 4, iii-136. Shepherd, A (1985), Hierarchical task analysis and training decisions, Programmed Learning and Educational Technology, 22, 162-176. Spencer, Christopher Matthew (2006), The eBay Entrepreneur, Kaplan Publishing, New York. UsabilityFirst (2005), Methods: Task Analysis, Retrieved August 22, 2009, from UsabilityFirst.com: http://www.usabilityfirst.com/methods/task.txl Read More