Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Usability Testing Materials
Citation: Gaffney, G. Usability Testing Materials. Information & Design. 2001.
http://www.infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/usabilitytestingmaterials
Key words: test schedule, observer guidelines, script, consent form, task cards, logging sheets
This article is about (main discussion):
Preparing for and conducting usability testing in a way that makes the administrator comfortable and at ease with the testing materials.
The author argues that:
the following materials are imperative to a successful usability testing session: test schedule (describes location and time of each session), observer guidelines (“ground rules” about appropriate behaviour), script (which gives the appropriate amount of information to the participant), consent form (if taping the participant), task cards (a written description of the task that the participant can refer back to if needed), logging sheets (to take notes during the test- “detailed” and/or free-form), questionnaire (an optional form to gather demographic data and other feedback and comments).
The authors make the following statements or sites the following references on support of his/ her argument (provide 2-3 quotes):
Usability testing can be stressful for participants; therefore, we must treat him/ her with respect by: being quiet, not disrupting, do not include, personal names or attributes, refrain form joking or laughing, and wait for all results before changing any designs. http://www.infodesign.com.au/ftp/ObserverGuidelines.pdf
Introduce the participant to the testing by explaining the purpose of the testing, the length of time it should take, encouraging “think-aloud,” and assure him/ her that it is not a test of ability, but of usability. http://www.infodesign.com.au/ftp/TestScript.pdf
The purpose of the questionnaire is to gain an understanding of people who will use the product http://www.infodesign.com.au/ftp/TestQuestionnaire.pdf
The authors conclude that:
Using the above materials will assist the tester in achieving the desired result of a meaningful and successful usability test.
The authors feel that:
“It is important that your testing plan is rigorously defined, so that you can maximize the benefits of this technique.” http://www.infodesign.com.au/usabilitytesting
References: http://www.infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/usabilitytestingmaterials 2001
Monday, January 30, 2012
Interface Design Guidelines for Users of All Ages
Citation: Spiezle, C. Interface Design Guidelines for Users of All Ages. AgeLight 2001.
http://www.agelight.com/webdocs/designguide.pdf
Key words: usability, effective interface usability, seniors, aging
This article is about (main discussion):
Designing a website or interface for an aging population, determining what factors affect design for seniors, recommendations for curing “ailments” to broken web designs (including: layout and style, colour, text, general usability testing, accessibility and disabilities, user customization) (p. 1, 7)
The author argues that:
“The importance of design and usability considerations for increasingly varied ages and lifestyles of computer and Internet appliance users has been heightened with the increase of worldwide longevity and the integration of the Internet into all aspects of society.” (p. 3)
The authors make the following statements or sites the following references on support of his/ her argument (provide 2-3 quotes):
Six recommendations and solutions to site “ailments” include: layout & style, colour, text, general usability testing, accessibility & disabilities, user customization (p. 7)
Remember: place the most important information and content in the first screen of the page as you can not expect the user to scroll down, be consistent (use rows and columns, and putting logos in same place) (p. 7), no blinking graphics, pop up windows and ads banners, use a light complementary background instead of watermarks or embossed logos, lots of white and little text is beneficial, use hyperlinks for longer pages, increase the size of the area around the link, consistently underline links, but do not underline text, keep pages short, consistency of navigation (p.8), design in black and white, and add colour for emphasis when design is complete, when choosing colour, consider hue, lightness and saturation (http://www.lighthouse.org/color_contrast.htm), keep colours bright and bold (p. 10), limit text bolding, use 12-14 size, limit use of all capital caps (p. 10,11), test your pages as much as possible, add search capability, have external links open in new windows (p. 13)
The authors conclude that:
Designers need to be aware of the varied levels of adult literacy and the primary language of the intended user. Our aging society and the disabled are at risk of feeling disenfranchised by designers who do not allow their participation in potential quality-of-life enhancing technologies. (p.16)
The authors feel that:
“Collaborative research on the needs of multimedia and Web technology development that would support increased usability. This research would go a long way in developing awareness and highlighting innovative market solutions for users of all ages and physical capabilities.” (p. 16)
References: http://www.agelight.com/webdocs/designguide.pdf 2001
Citation: Spiezle, C. Interface Design Guidelines for Users of All Ages. AgeLight 2001.
http://www.agelight.com/webdocs/designguide.pdf
Key words: usability, effective interface usability, seniors, aging
This article is about (main discussion):
Designing a website or interface for an aging population, determining what factors affect design for seniors, recommendations for curing “ailments” to broken web designs (including: layout and style, colour, text, general usability testing, accessibility and disabilities, user customization) (p. 1, 7)
The author argues that:
“The importance of design and usability considerations for increasingly varied ages and lifestyles of computer and Internet appliance users has been heightened with the increase of worldwide longevity and the integration of the Internet into all aspects of society.” (p. 3)
The authors make the following statements or sites the following references on support of his/ her argument (provide 2-3 quotes):
Six recommendations and solutions to site “ailments” include: layout & style, colour, text, general usability testing, accessibility & disabilities, user customization (p. 7)
Remember: place the most important information and content in the first screen of the page as you can not expect the user to scroll down, be consistent (use rows and columns, and putting logos in same place) (p. 7), no blinking graphics, pop up windows and ads banners, use a light complementary background instead of watermarks or embossed logos, lots of white and little text is beneficial, use hyperlinks for longer pages, increase the size of the area around the link, consistently underline links, but do not underline text, keep pages short, consistency of navigation (p.8), design in black and white, and add colour for emphasis when design is complete, when choosing colour, consider hue, lightness and saturation (http://www.lighthouse.org/color_contrast.htm), keep colours bright and bold (p. 10), limit text bolding, use 12-14 size, limit use of all capital caps (p. 10,11), test your pages as much as possible, add search capability, have external links open in new windows (p. 13)
The authors conclude that:
Designers need to be aware of the varied levels of adult literacy and the primary language of the intended user. Our aging society and the disabled are at risk of feeling disenfranchised by designers who do not allow their participation in potential quality-of-life enhancing technologies. (p.16)
The authors feel that:
“Collaborative research on the needs of multimedia and Web technology development that would support increased usability. This research would go a long way in developing awareness and highlighting innovative market solutions for users of all ages and physical capabilities.” (p. 16)
References: http://www.agelight.com/webdocs/designguide.pdf 2001
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Teamwork
I am impressed with how well my team is working together. It was something for a group of six to be communicating, meeting and collaborating, and half of us weren't even in the same city! That's 21st century collaboration!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Reading Report: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites Citation: Horton, S. and Lynch P. (2012) Web Style Guide: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites. http://www.webstyleguide.com/wsg3/index.html. (Chapters 2, 4, 7, 11)
Key words: design process, universal usability, accessibility, user-centred design (UCD), visual design
This book is about (main discussion):
Design principles and how they apply to web design, from planning, to production, to maintenance. Primary topics that I read for this review include visual design, universal usability, and user-centered design. Furthermore, when designing a website, universal usability (improving the quality of life for a larger audience more frequently) is the aim, as this provides effectiveness in accomplishing tasks (such as finding information).
The authors argue that:
Universal Usability
When designing websites it is our job to make them more usable, or reduce functional limitations. The most common method for achieving this is user-centred design (UCD), which looks at the users (through focus groups, task analysis, and user testing) to determine what works best for them. UCD practitioners continuously design, test, and refine in order to achieve the best product. UCD is applied to diverse users, platforms, and contexts. The first step to to achieving universal usability is to not design for a “typical” user; rather, it should be done considering age, experience level, and other limitations (ie. sensory). The authors outline the following guidelines to support adaptation (a design approach used to accommodate users): flexibility, user control, keyboard functionality, and text equivalents). (chapter 2)
The first step in the web design process is to gather information about the users. This can be done through surveys, interviews, focus groups, web analytics, and field studies. The second step is to apply what is learned in stage one, by creating “personas” (which typically include a name, demographics, level of expertise, and platform). Personas should include a wide variety of people within a demographic. When testing what has been designed, paper prototypes are often the best platform as they are inexpensive, and effective for examining page elements. User testing is implemented in a controlled and directed fashion in order to test the prototypes in order to improve its universal usability. As mentioned previously, this process is continuous. (chapter 2).
Visual Design
Holton and Lynch discuss these visual design principles with regard to web page design: proximity, similarity, continuity, closure, figure-ground relationships, uniform connectedness, and 1 + 1 = 3 effects.
The authors make the following statements or sites the following references on support of his/ her argument:
Ben Shneiderman defines universal usability as “having more than 90% of all households as successful users of information and communications services at least once a week.” (chapter 2)
Gestalt psychologists researched into the perception of visual patterns yielded a number of consistent principles that dominate human visual reasoning and pattern recognition, and these principles form the theoretical basis for much of modern graphic design. (chapter 7) The authors conclude that: The concept of universal usability is informed by several initiatives, primarily accessibility, usability, and universal design. Universal design incorporates access requirements into a design, rather than providing alternate designs to meet specific needs. Furthermore, a design that meets broad needs is more effective and less-costly than multiple designs (chapter 2).
The authors feel that:
Through iterative cycles of design, testing, and refinement, user-centered design practitioners continuously check in to make sure they are on track-that users like and will be successful using the design. (chapter 2) This process provides for the widest audience in a variety of contexts and platforms.
Key words: design process, universal usability, accessibility, user-centred design (UCD), visual design
This book is about (main discussion):
Design principles and how they apply to web design, from planning, to production, to maintenance. Primary topics that I read for this review include visual design, universal usability, and user-centered design. Furthermore, when designing a website, universal usability (improving the quality of life for a larger audience more frequently) is the aim, as this provides effectiveness in accomplishing tasks (such as finding information).
The authors argue that:
Universal Usability
When designing websites it is our job to make them more usable, or reduce functional limitations. The most common method for achieving this is user-centred design (UCD), which looks at the users (through focus groups, task analysis, and user testing) to determine what works best for them. UCD practitioners continuously design, test, and refine in order to achieve the best product. UCD is applied to diverse users, platforms, and contexts. The first step to to achieving universal usability is to not design for a “typical” user; rather, it should be done considering age, experience level, and other limitations (ie. sensory). The authors outline the following guidelines to support adaptation (a design approach used to accommodate users): flexibility, user control, keyboard functionality, and text equivalents). (chapter 2)
The first step in the web design process is to gather information about the users. This can be done through surveys, interviews, focus groups, web analytics, and field studies. The second step is to apply what is learned in stage one, by creating “personas” (which typically include a name, demographics, level of expertise, and platform). Personas should include a wide variety of people within a demographic. When testing what has been designed, paper prototypes are often the best platform as they are inexpensive, and effective for examining page elements. User testing is implemented in a controlled and directed fashion in order to test the prototypes in order to improve its universal usability. As mentioned previously, this process is continuous. (chapter 2).
Visual Design
Holton and Lynch discuss these visual design principles with regard to web page design: proximity, similarity, continuity, closure, figure-ground relationships, uniform connectedness, and 1 + 1 = 3 effects.
The authors make the following statements or sites the following references on support of his/ her argument:
Ben Shneiderman defines universal usability as “having more than 90% of all households as successful users of information and communications services at least once a week.” (chapter 2)
Gestalt psychologists researched into the perception of visual patterns yielded a number of consistent principles that dominate human visual reasoning and pattern recognition, and these principles form the theoretical basis for much of modern graphic design. (chapter 7) The authors conclude that: The concept of universal usability is informed by several initiatives, primarily accessibility, usability, and universal design. Universal design incorporates access requirements into a design, rather than providing alternate designs to meet specific needs. Furthermore, a design that meets broad needs is more effective and less-costly than multiple designs (chapter 2).
The authors feel that:
Through iterative cycles of design, testing, and refinement, user-centered design practitioners continuously check in to make sure they are on track-that users like and will be successful using the design. (chapter 2) This process provides for the widest audience in a variety of contexts and platforms.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
FileMaker Pro Review
Citation: Trimble, Timothy (2006) FileMaker Pro Design & Scripting for Dummies. John Wiley and Sons.
Key words: FileMaker Pro, creating databases, finding and sorting data, sharing data, databases on web, designing
This book is about (main discussion):
Using Filemaker Pro to easily create, keep and manage information (chapter 1)
The author argues that:
FileMaker Pro provides a point-and-click interface for designing databases without requiring you to have prior database experience. Furthermore, FileMaker Pro allows you to publish your database to the Web in just a few clicks, which means that users on any platform with a compatible browser can use your database. (chapter 1)
The authors make the following statements or sites the following references on support of his/ her argument (provide 2-3 quotes):
Reasons to use FileMaker Pro were suggested: it provides a point-and-click interface for designing databases without requiring you to have prior database experience, you can design your database in one environment and run it in Mac or Windows, you can publish your database to the Web in just a few clicks, you can save data in a number of formats to import and export, comes with 30 Starter Solutions databases that you can put to work right away, easily use it for storing and showing pictures and movies, playing sounds, and linking with many different multimedia file types, provides multi-user support for up to five users without requiring the user to add any additional licenses, has an easy-to-use list of functions that can be assigned to buttons and layout objects (chapter 1)
Some things to keep in mind when designing a layout for the screen: create folder tabs, as they are easy for the user to identify, know your users, be consistent, focus on what is important, always provide help (chapter 4)
FileMaker Pro provides you with ten tools to create the perfect database: making hidden buttons, jazzing up your graphics, making layout titles and text dynamic, reusable layouts, showing movies, using auto start and end script code, sending email, launching a website, changing background colour, running another application (chapter 13)
The authors conclude that:
FileMaker Pro is an excellent cross-platform tool for application development, which gives users the ability to keep and manage information accurately ad creatively. Furthermore, it is great for any user, regardless of level of expertise or understanding (chapter 1)
The author feels that:
FileMaker Pro places the power of information in your hands by giving you the ability to easily create, manage, and view information (chapter 1) . He also argues that FileMaker is great for finding and sorting data, and for retrieving it from a variety of computers that also have the software. Other features that FileMaker possess include the ability to create dropdown lists and pop-up menues. Furthermore, the author believes that FileMaker is an efficient and effective tool for managing data. Lastly, while earlier versions of FileMaker were difficult to create and maintain, recent versions of this software are far more accessible to the average user, and are recommended to anyone who is running either a business or website.
Key words: FileMaker Pro, creating databases, finding and sorting data, sharing data, databases on web, designing
This book is about (main discussion):
Using Filemaker Pro to easily create, keep and manage information (chapter 1)
The author argues that:
FileMaker Pro provides a point-and-click interface for designing databases without requiring you to have prior database experience. Furthermore, FileMaker Pro allows you to publish your database to the Web in just a few clicks, which means that users on any platform with a compatible browser can use your database. (chapter 1)
The authors make the following statements or sites the following references on support of his/ her argument (provide 2-3 quotes):
Reasons to use FileMaker Pro were suggested: it provides a point-and-click interface for designing databases without requiring you to have prior database experience, you can design your database in one environment and run it in Mac or Windows, you can publish your database to the Web in just a few clicks, you can save data in a number of formats to import and export, comes with 30 Starter Solutions databases that you can put to work right away, easily use it for storing and showing pictures and movies, playing sounds, and linking with many different multimedia file types, provides multi-user support for up to five users without requiring the user to add any additional licenses, has an easy-to-use list of functions that can be assigned to buttons and layout objects (chapter 1)
Some things to keep in mind when designing a layout for the screen: create folder tabs, as they are easy for the user to identify, know your users, be consistent, focus on what is important, always provide help (chapter 4)
FileMaker Pro provides you with ten tools to create the perfect database: making hidden buttons, jazzing up your graphics, making layout titles and text dynamic, reusable layouts, showing movies, using auto start and end script code, sending email, launching a website, changing background colour, running another application (chapter 13)
The authors conclude that:
FileMaker Pro is an excellent cross-platform tool for application development, which gives users the ability to keep and manage information accurately ad creatively. Furthermore, it is great for any user, regardless of level of expertise or understanding (chapter 1)
The author feels that:
FileMaker Pro places the power of information in your hands by giving you the ability to easily create, manage, and view information (chapter 1) . He also argues that FileMaker is great for finding and sorting data, and for retrieving it from a variety of computers that also have the software. Other features that FileMaker possess include the ability to create dropdown lists and pop-up menues. Furthermore, the author believes that FileMaker is an efficient and effective tool for managing data. Lastly, while earlier versions of FileMaker were difficult to create and maintain, recent versions of this software are far more accessible to the average user, and are recommended to anyone who is running either a business or website.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
FileMaker Pro
Just finished reading FileMaker Pro for Dummies, and am not sold on it for our project. While I would like to get a better understanding for the software, and see it as a valuable tool, I don't think that it is right for this project. Too much set-up and front-end work when there are other avenues (smugmug, for example) available to us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)