Usability Studies Made Simple Usability Studies Made Simple Marla - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Usability Studies Made Simple Usability Studies Made Simple Marla Lobley

The Problem The Problem Photo by Oote Boe

The Cost The Cost

The Plan The Plan Simple Usability Studies Simple Usability Studies ● Test with 3 Test with 3 -5 users 5 users ● Test early & often Test early & often ● Tweak, don’t redesign Tweak, don’t redesign ● Share results Share results “Why you only need to test with 5 users”, Nielsen Norman Group “Why you only need to test with 5 users”, Nielsen Norman Group Do Do-It It-Yourself Usability Testing with Steve Krug Yourself Usability Testing with Steve Krug (his 6 Maxims start around 42:00 min.) (his 6 Maxims start around 42:00 min.)

Possibilities Possibilities What can be studied What can be studied ● Website Website ● Catalog/Discovery service Catalog/Discovery service ● Instruction sessions Instruction sessions ● Library space Library space ● Services Services ● Customer service Customer service ● Signage Signage

Possibilities Possibilities Methods of study Methods of study ● Scenario testing Scenario testing ● Observation Observation ● Surveys Surveys ● Heuristics Heuristics ● Existing data Existing data ● Accessibility Accessibility

Scenario Testing Scenario Testing ● First click testing First click testing ● Think Think -aloud aloud ● Secret shoppers Secret shoppers

Observation Observation ● Behavioral Behavioral ● Data based Data based

Surveys Surveys ● Traditional Traditional ○ Users Users ○ Staff Staff ● Non Non-traditional traditional ○ Whiteboards Whiteboards ○ Campus events Campus events ○ Social media Social media

Heuristics Heuristics Heuristics Heuristics ● Homemade Homemade ● Already created Already created Library Service Design Mindset, Library of the Future, ALA Library Service Design Mindset, Library of the Future, ALA

Existing Data Existing Data ● Google Analytics Google Analytics ● Commonly asked Commonly asked reference questions reference questions ● COUNTER reports COUNTER reports ● Compare data across Compare data across departments departments

Accessibility Accessibility ● WebAIM WAVE tool WebAIM WAVE tool ● Tab through a website Tab through a website

Discussion Discussion ● What makes user studies a priority for you? What makes user studies a priority for you? ● What makes something a priority to study? What makes something a priority to study? ● What makes one method of study “better” than another? What makes one method of study “better” than another? ● When is striving for perfection the best course of action? When is striving for perfection the best course of action?

Lessons Learned Lessons Learned ● Resist the temptation to redesign Resist the temptation to redesign ● Not all studies will go as planned Not all studies will go as planned ● Pilot test Pilot test

A Special Thank You A Special Thank You CJ Taylor CJ Taylor ● cjtaylor.myportfolio.com ● c.taylor1996@outlook.com c.taylor1996@outlook.com

Questions? Questions? mlobley@ecok.edu