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Alternative Methods for Testing Usability

Instant Data Analysis

Main Difference: You do not analyze video data!

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Analysis done immediately after the last session

  • Brainstorm
  • Tasks
  • Logger's notes

Presence during IDA:

  • Test moderator
  • Logger
  • Facilitator

Test moderator and data logger starts by brainstorming all the usability problems that they can remember from the sessions.

The facilitator notes this down, and creates an overview of the problems.

So that the moderator and logger can focus only on remembering the problems.

Comparison

From the study (Kjeldskov et al. - Instant Data Analysis (PDF))

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Overlap

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White box is an unidentified problem, Black box is an identified problem.

Time Spent

IDA: 4 person hours

VBA: 40 person hours

Remote Usability testing

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Remote Asynchronous

  • Logging/Analytics
  • You know what users do, but not why.
  • Usability Questionnaire

Usability Problems

Definition:

Usability problems are present when the system is:

  • Unuseful: You cannot find the documents or functions you wneed to solve your tasks.
  • Difficult to learn: It takes a long time to learn how to use the system.
  • Difficult to remember: It takes a long time to find elements in the system, which you have used previously.
  • Ineffective to use: It takes a long time to solve certain tasks with the system.
  • Unsatisfying to use: The system does not feel comfortable to use, it is not joyful to work with it.

This is basically an inverted edition of Jacob Nielsen's definition from lecture 07.

Last update: June 10, 2019