Testing Usability of Web Page - Essay Example

What do you believe are the appropriate criteria for assessing usability What do you believe are the appropriate criteria For assessing usability Who should make such judgments and how should disagreements about usability be resolved 2007-11-01 Usability is the use of tools items and designs of any kind that are profitable in terms of their functionality and usage value. (Usability first, 2002-2005) There is a kind of connection between the computer and the user, tools and the user in any working scenario. When a user is satisfied by a product he uses it profusely for its effective functionality and the business flourishes with the use of the item of purchase on a web page. Consequently usage of web page and in formation given on that page is made durable every time a user uses the same page for his own advantage. There is interaction between the user of a computer and computer as a machine that transmits information across when it is used by the user. It's a kind of communion that takes place between the user and the computer with varying results. For instance the user uses the input devices to get message through in the form of what he has typed -email, chat or other stratagems at his disposal. Machine works to get the message across through variety of forms chosen by the user. Usability then refers to a system of teeming reality in which human and machine inter connect and communicate through in put and out put devices of the system which has been used . User interface is a way through which machine and human communicate a system. Usability holds a profound stance world wide. Its significance is in the way it is useful profitable and learnable for those who use a system design or computer to achieve prolific results. The appropriate criterion of assessing usability is in the significance of the system that is used by all. For users usability is meaning full because it enables them to find out about how they performed tasks fruitfully or had problems in completing them. For a developer usability is the success or failure of the system... For management productivity of work force holds eminence because failure of a system means no profit. Interface Designers learn designer guidelines and designer principles to get feedback about the system they have constructed from the people who use it. Users Designers, developers and management have standards by which usability can be assessed, and they have the right to pass verdict about what is proper and usable for them. . They have to make sure what are the standards by which a design has to satisfy public appeal and familiarity... For constructing a web page goals have to be set that will determine specific strategies to assess usability in terms of success of a web page by its users. Length of site's design construction, evaluation periods Specific quantitative and qualitative measures of success are the foundations on which usability can germinate public appeal. Another way to assess it is to know what the audience wants to read on the site that will be successful by giving them the information they want. A well defined system can be constructed keeping in view needs and ideas of the users. Data base of existing, needed content will take into consideration content resources for making an out line for one's needs for a web page design. Information can be organized for assessment. Horton, Lynch (2002) (Web style guide 2nd edition) The content of the web page should meet the needs of the users to be assessed. Communication with the users of the webpage will be useful for fulfilling their demands of giving them proper service and things they want. Effective web page design contains both graphic images and text which makes the site enjoyable for the users. Web site organization, graphic design, and typography are useful for the users because they feel they are getting accurate information from the site. Logs for the web site can be analyzed for development of quantitative data for the site's ameliorative approach. In keeping with user's likes and dislikes, concepts and items can be changed on the web. (Make it usable-pc magazine) Usability can be assessed by setting a standard in the context of wed page design. Usability testing can be fruitful for user feedback. A study can be conducted on testing users to surf the site to determine the easy areas and difficult tasks. Consequently responses to user feedback can germinate new ideas for the site to be better than before. Testing the site is very essential at this stage when one has to collect and respond to user feedback. No matter what the site looks like it has to be assessed through usability feedback of people surfing it. The whole study can be conducted in stages for the site to be usable. Firstly goals have to be set and tasks have to be written down for the users. They should be given appropriate information before they proceed performing the tasks Users should be given real tasks to do that involve them to buy items of their own choice and also to go about with things on their own. Tasks should be numbered and written down on a separate page. This can make one understand what the user is doing and also gives a sense of accomplishment even though the task is in its rudimentary stage. User profile has to be set up and sessions have to be scheduled The site is tested on the basis of web experience operating system knowledge , occupation , experience using competitive sites . Users are chosen that represent the target market. Only 6 people can test a site at one time. Sessions have to be conducted keeping in mind expectations and accomplishments of the users. Data should be evaluated in the sense of good and bad points of user tasks. Particularly the areas where the user failed to accomplish task should be taken into account. Designs that worked should be incorporated into the final product. Data and users responses should be respected. All depends on the accumulation of feedback report and development process that forms a standard for assessing usability in the wider context. It's a whole new system of process and development that ascertains usability of a design, web product or wed page A criterion of assessing usability is in the quality that it exhibits. Usability of user's tool, computer or software can be ascertained by learning ability, memorization satisfaction efficiency, and errors. Usability depends upon a number of factors such as tool's functionality in terms of users' needs, tasks to be performed effectively through application and response of the application in terms of users' expectation of it. (NIELSON 2003) , (NIELSON 2003_) Users perform tasks and when they learn the design they perform tasks quickly. This shows effectiveness of the product and their own efficiency to use it. When they don't use it they can still thrive from their reestablished proficiency. The errors that they make are rectified in the process of learning, signifying durability and utility of the product in use. Usability and functionality of the design are very important. The design has to meet the needs of the user. {Usability first}. Iterative design should be employed to refine it by evaluating it in the early stages. Evaluation process compels the designer and the developer to consider clients and users' feed back for the usability of the system. Usability can be assessed by testing actual users on a working system, system prototypes, inspection to be conducted by experts, cognitive modeling. Invariably emphasis should be on design efforts and intended end-user of the system. ( Nielsen 2003) User testing has two components .In the first instance representative users like customers for an e-commerce site or employees for an intranet outside the department should be asked to perform representative tasks with the design. In the second instance it is important to remain vigilant to the user's ability to carry on with the tasks with failure, success and difficulty with user interface. Testing should be done individually giving users' opportunity to solve problems on their own without any interference A design can be usable by testing five users. Resources can be used to run many small tests to revise the design between users in order to determine usability flaws. Users should be tested with interface ideas and thoughts. By the use of iterative design the quality of user experience can be intensified. ( Nielsen 2003) System prototype and inspection conducted by experts can reveal problem areas that users of those systems encounter with. The important thing is to have a design implemented first. It should be tested thoroughly for the implementation of the final design. There should not be any modification in the testing process until the final design is adapted to the needs of the users. If testing process is changed before the design is implemented, the whole process won't uncover usability problem areas which the developers and management strive to achieve. ( Nielsen's Alert box 2003) Before testing users on the system it's worth while to adopt a design by a process of stages. For high quality usability testing should commence early in the design process and should go along all the way until best results come out. The way to assess usability is to test the old design in order to determine good points and decipher problem areas faced by the users. Competitor's designs should be tested in order to procure cheap data in relation to alternative interfaces that seem homogenous. In the case of intranet, intranet design annuals should be read for knowledge of better designs. Field study should be carried out to consider how users behave when they are working on a system. New design ideas should be tested in the form of paper prototypes. Less time should be spent in formulating design ideas because ideas change in accordance with test results. Design ideas should be purified through multiple iteration testing. This can be done by focusing upon low-fidelity prototypes first and high -fidelity representations later that function on the computer. Following this phase of development each iteration should be tested. Jakob Nielsen's Alert box) The design should be inspected relative to established usability guidelines, earlier studies and published research Despite the criteria of quality, meaning, testing and methods used, there seems to be disagreement about usability .In the first place it is time consuming, expensive and its creativity impedes companies from getting user data. Above all the misconception is that user feedback methods parry interface design. Most companies do not use usability methods to form designs. Ignorance to usability is due to certain factors that seem note worthy. (Useit.com-2003) The disagreement that usability method is expensive makes people think on pessimistic lines. They view it as a worth less folly costing too much, and they have substantial grounds to evince the point. Many computer companies have invested a lot of money in labs for this method to work. They hire professional people to conduct testing and research studies on multiple design alternatives that have to be paid a lot. (useit.com) The solution to the problem is to go for cheap usability methods. Staff members can be trained to carry out research and testing projects on their own by testing five costumers at a time. Testing and research projects can be conducted in conference room instead of hiring people to work in a lab. (useit.com) This will not be time consuming and it won't cost much. What one needs to do is to have a right kind of method for usability to make it work and also make sure that it does not cost much. It covers the budget. For field studies simple and fast usability testing methods should be used. Paper prototyping enables one to formulate design iterations in few hours only. The advantage of user research method to form design does not let one waste time on aspects contrary to the user's needs. It infact enables the developers to concentrate on user needs instead. Usability method can sort out arguments about user needs and demands in a development team by letting them focus on user requirements. A study can be carried out to move on the right track by a team that should concentrate on what the user wants or would do in particular circumstances. Usability does not kill creativity --- on the contrary it scintillates imagination through design that is realistic to the core. Here one has to design a system that is not only cheap and covers the budget, but is also applicable to the real world, which can be easily used by the users. Usability is a way to approach real world with constrains. Usability methods have to be chosen with care. All usability methods reveal a reality. Usability guidelines exhibit user behavior to similar designs. User testing indicates user behavior with proposed design. Usability inculcates knowledge of real facts of life that germinates creativity. Thereby web designers and system designers derive new ideas about how to design products with thoughts of innovation and improvement based on real problems. Conventions and standards of interface design give meaning to designers, explain meaning of interface unites and provide guidelines. Interface designers can be creative, so long they design a system that can be easily used and understood by all. Thus the best way to approach usability assessment is to choose a method that is easy to administer, quick to tackle and within budget Thus usability is a way to look at life from different angles that prove profitable for the makers and easily accessible by the users, that gives feedback to the makers of how to improve it further to the tastes and demands of the users. Work cited page: Coyne and Marie, Tahir Kara Pernice and Jakob Nielsen Make it Usable. PC Magazine. 02. O6.O1 Usability is often the most neglected aspect of Web sites, yet in many respects it is the most important. If visitors can't use your site, they will leave and never become customers. The Web gives people too much freedom and too many choices; no one will suffer a poorly designed site. To make your site usable, you need to involve potential customers in its design. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0, 4149, 33821, 00.asp] Jakob Nielsen (2003) Usability 101: Introduction to Usability. Alert box, August 25, 2003 Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use. The word "usability" also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process. The Web Style Guide (2nd Edition , Horton, Lynch 2002 THE FIRST STEP in designing any Web site is to define your goals. Without a clearly stated mission and objectives the project will drift, bog down, or continue past an appropriate endpoint http://www.webstyleguide.com/index.html] Usability First Usability addresses the relationship between tools and their users. In order for a tool to be effective, it must allow intended users to accomplish their tasks in the best way possible. The same principle applies to computers, websites, and other software. In order for these systems to work, their users must be able to employ them effectively http://www.usabilityfirst.com/] Jakob Nielsen's Alert box, September 8, 2003: Misconceptions about usability's expense, the time it involves, and its creative impact prevent companies from getting crucial user data, as does the erroneous belief that existing customer-feedback methods are a valid driver for interface design. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030825.html Read More