Design and usability methods and techniques: Difference between revisions

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[http://www.usabilitynet.org/tools/methods.htm Usability Net] provides a nice interactive methods table leading to articles of which we reproduce a cropped screen copy below:
[http://www.usabilitynet.org/tools/methods.htm Usability Net] provides a nice interactive methods table leading to articles of which we reproduce a cropped screen copy below:


[[image:usabilitynet-methods-table.png|thumb|800px|none|Methods table, Copyright [http://www.usabilitynet.org/tools/methods.htm usability.net] 2006, retrieved 18:39, 3 March 2011 (CET). Reproduction permitted provided the [http://www.usabilitynet.org/tools/methods.htm original] source is acknowledged.]]
[[image:usabilitynet-methods-table.png|thumb|800px|none|Methods table, Copyright [http://www.usabilitynet.org/tools/methods.htm usability.net] 2006, retrieved 18:41, 3 March 2011 (CET). Reproduction permitted provided the [http://www.usabilitynet.org/tools/methods.htm original] source is acknowledged.]]


[http://www.usability.gov/methods/index.html Usability.gov] presents a similar table leading to articles. It organizes usability methods according to where they take place in the user-centered design process.
[http://www.usability.gov/methods/index.html Usability.gov] presents a similar table leading to articles. It organizes usability methods according to where they take place in the user-centered design process.


[[image:*|frame|none|Usability Methods table| Source: [http://www.usability.gov/methods/index.html Usability.gov], retrieved 18:39, 3 March 2011 (CET)]
[[image:*|frame|none|Usability Methods table| Source: [http://www.usability.gov/methods/index.html Usability.gov], retrieved 18:41, 3 March 2011 (CET)]


The [http://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/portal/usability/process/ucdMethods.htm Nasa usability toolkit] includes a (by default copyright-free) table that also is organized by stages.
The [http://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/portal/usability/process/ucdMethods.htm Nasa usability toolkit] includes a (by default copyright-free) table that also is organized by stages.


<table border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0">
<table class="wikitable">
<tr>  
<tr>  
<td><span class="bold">Tool / Method</span></td>
<td><span class="bold">Tool / Method</span></td>
Line 26: Line 26:
<td >Resources Required</td>
<td >Resources Required</td>
<td >Purpose of Method</td>
<td >Purpose of Method</td>
                    </tr>
</tr>
                    <tr>  
<tr>  
                      <td>Brainstorming</td>
<td>Brainstorming</td>
                      <td></td>
<td></td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td></td>
<td></td>
 
<td >LOW</td>
                      <td >LOW</td>
<td>Generates design ideas</td>
                      <td>Generates design ideas</td>
</tr>
                    </tr>
<tr>  
                    <tr>  
<td>Card sorting</td>
                      <td>Card sorting</td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td></td>
 
<td >LOW</td>
                      <td></td>
<td>Helps structure interface content</td>
                      <td >LOW</td>
</tr>
                      <td>Helps structure interface content</td>
<tr>  
                    </tr>
<td>Cognitive walk through</td>
                    <tr>  
<td></td>
                      <td>Cognitive walk through</td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td></td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td >MEDIUM</td>
 
<td>Checks structure and flow against user goals</td>
                      <td >X</td>
</tr>
                      <td >MEDIUM</td>
<tr>  
                      <td>Checks structure and flow against user goals</td>
<td>Context of use analysis</td>
                    </tr>
<td >X</td>
                    <tr>  
<td></td>
                      <td>Context of use analysis</td>
<td></td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td >LOW</td>
 
<td>Specifies vital user and product characteristics</td>
                      <td></td>
</tr>
                      <td></td>
<tr>  
                      <td >LOW</td>
<td>Contextual inquiry</td>
                      <td>Specifies vital user and product characteristics</td>
<td >X</td>
                    </tr>
<td></td>
                    <tr>  
<td></td>
                      <td>Contextual inquiry</td>
<td >MEDIUM</td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td>Provides information about users' work context</td>
 
</tr>
                      <td></td>
<tr>  
                      <td></td>
<td>Focus group</td>
                      <td >MEDIUM</td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td>Provides information about users' work context</td>
<td></td>
                    </tr>
<td></td>
<tr>  
<td >LOW</td>
                      <td>Focus group</td>
<td>Elicits user requirements/views through discussion</td>
                      <td >X</td>
</tr>
 
<tr>  
                      <td></td>
<td>Functionality matrix</td>
                      <td></td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td >LOW</td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td>Elicits user requirements/views through discussion</td>
<td></td>
                    </tr>
<td >LOW</td>
                    <tr>  
<td>Specifies functions required to support tasks</td>
                      <td>Functionality matrix</td>
</tr>
                      <td >X</td>
<tr>  
 
<td>Heuristic evaluation</td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td></td>
                      <td></td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td >LOW</td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td>Specifies functions required to support tasks</td>
<td >LOW</td>
                    </tr>
<td>Provides expert feedback on user interfaces</td>
                    <tr>  
</tr>
                      <td>Heuristic evaluation</td>
<tr>  
 
<td>Interactive prototyping</td>
                      <td></td>
<td></td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td></td>
                      <td >LOW</td>
<td >MEDIUM/ HIGH</td>
                      <td>Provides expert feedback on user interfaces</td>
<td>Used for testing with users</td>
                    </tr>
</tr>
                    <tr>  
<tr>  
                      <td>Interactive prototyping</td>
<td>Interview techniques</td>
 
<td >X</td>
                      <td></td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td></td>
                      <td></td>
<td >LOW</td>
                      <td >MEDIUM/ HIGH</td>
<td>Provides detailed user experience about product usage</td>
                      <td>Used for testing with users</td>
</tr>
                    </tr>
<tr>  
                    <tr>  
<td>Observation</td>
                      <td>Interview techniques</td>
<td >X</td>
 
<td></td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td></td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td >MEDIUM</td>
                      <td></td>
<td>Describes user activity in detail</td>
                      <td >LOW</td>
</tr>
                      <td>Provides detailed user experience about product usage</td>
<tr>  
                    </tr>
<td>Paper prototyping</td>
                    <tr>  
<td></td>
                      <td>Observation</td>
<td >X</td>
 
<td></td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td >MEDIUM</td>
                      <td></td>
<td>Tests design ideas with users</td>
                      <td></td>
</tr>
                      <td >MEDIUM</td>
<tr>  
                      <td>Describes user activity in detail</td>
<td>Parallel design</td>
                    </tr>
<td></td>
                    <tr>  
<td >X</td>
                      <td>Paper prototyping</td>
<td></td>
 
<td >HIGH</td>
                      <td></td>
<td>Provides one conceptual design idea from several</td>
                      <td >X</td>
</tr>
                      <td></td>
<tr>  
                      <td >MEDIUM</td>
<td>Participatory evaluation</td>
                      <td>Tests design ideas with users</td>
<td></td>
                    </tr>
<td >X</td>
                    <tr>  
<td >X</td>
                      <td>Parallel design</td>
<td >MEDIUM</td>
 
<td>Detects task-related usability problems early in design</td>
                      <td></td>
</tr>
                      <td >X</td>
<tr>  
                      <td></td>
<td>Rapid prototyping</td>
                      <td >HIGH</td>
<td></td>
                      <td>Provides one conceptual design idea from several</td>
<td >X</td>
                    </tr>
<td></td>
                    <tr>  
<td >MEDIUM</td>
                      <td>Participatory evaluation</td>
<td>Allows users to visualize future systems and evaluate</td>
 
</tr>
                      <td></td>
<tr>  
                      <td >X</td>
<td>Scenarios</td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td >MEDIUM</td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td>Detects task-related usability problems early in design</td>
<td></td>
                    </tr>
<td >MEDIUM</td>
                    <tr>  
<td>Illustrates requirements and supports conceptual design</td>
                      <td>Rapid prototyping</td>
</tr>
 
<tr>  
                      <td></td>
<td>Storyboarding</td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td></td>
                      <td></td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td >MEDIUM</td>
<td></td>
                      <td>Allows users to visualize future systems and evaluate</td>
<td >MEDIUM</td>
                    </tr>
<td>Visualizes relationship between events and actions</td>
                    <tr>  
</tr>
                      <td>Scenarios</td>
<tr>  
 
<td>Surveys</td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td></td>
                      <td></td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td >MEDIUM</td>
<td >HIGH</td>
                      <td>Illustrates requirements and supports conceptual design</td>
<td>Provides mass data from users</td>
                    </tr>
</tr>
                    <tr>  
<tr>  
                      <td>Storyboarding</td>
<td>Task analysis</td>
 
<td >X</td>
                      <td></td>
<td></td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td></td>
                      <td></td>
<td >MEDIUM</td>
                      <td >MEDIUM</td>
<td>Analyses current user work in depth</td>
                      <td>Visualizes relationship between events and actions</td>
</tr>
                    </tr>
<tr>  
                    <tr>  
<td>User-based testing of design</td>
                      <td>Surveys</td>
<td></td>
 
<td></td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td >X</td>
                      <td></td>
<td >MEDIUM</td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td>Provides recommendations for how a design can be improved.</td>
                      <td >HIGH</td>
</tr>
                      <td>Provides mass data from users</td>
<tr>  
                    </tr>
<td>User-based testing of interaction</td>
                    <tr>  
<td></td>
                      <td>Task analysis</td>
<td></td>
 
<td >X</td>
                      <td >X</td>
<td >HIGH</td>
                      <td></td>
<td>Measures usability and identifies interaction problems</td>
                      <td></td>
</tr>
                      <td >MEDIUM</td>
<tr>  
                      <td>Analyses current user work in depth</td>
<td>WAMMI - Web site  
                    </tr>
</td>
                    <tr>  
<td></td>
                      <td>User-based testing of design</td>
<td></td>
 
<td >X</td>
                      <td></td>
<td >LOW</td>
                      <td></td>
<td>Provides an objective way of assessing user satisfaction  
                      <td >X</td>
</td>
                      <td >MEDIUM</td>
</tr>
                      <td>Provides recommendations for how a design can be improved.</td>
<tr>  
                    </tr>
<td>Wireframes</td>
                    <tr>  
<td></td>
                      <td>User-based testing of interaction</td>
<td >X</td>
 
<td></td>
                      <td></td>
<td >LOW</td>
                      <td></td>
<td>Fast and easy concept prototyping that focuses on layout, navigation and high level content </td>
                      <td >X</td>
</tr>
                      <td >HIGH</td>
                      <td>Measures usability and identifies interaction problems</td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>  
                      <td>WAMMI - Web site  
                        Analysis and Measurement Inventory</td>
 
                      <td></td>
                      <td></td>
                      <td >X</td>
                      <td >LOW</td>
                      <td>Provides an objective way of assessing user satisfaction  
                        with a web site</td>
                    </tr>
<tr>  
                      <td>Wireframes</td>
 
                      <td></td>
                      <td >X</td>
                      <td></td>
                      <td >LOW</td>
                      <td>Fast and easy concept prototyping that focuses on layout, navigation and high level content </td>
                    </tr>
</table>
</table>


Revision as of 19:41, 3 March 2011

Draft

<pageby nominor="false" comments="false"/>

Introduction

This article will attempt to summarize major design and usability methods and techniques

Taxonomies of design and usability methods

Usability Net provides a nice interactive methods table leading to articles of which we reproduce a cropped screen copy below:

Methods table, Copyright usability.net 2006, retrieved 18:41, 3 March 2011 (CET). Reproduction permitted provided the original source is acknowledged.

Usability.gov presents a similar table leading to articles. It organizes usability methods according to where they take place in the user-centered design process.

[[image:*|frame|none|Usability Methods table| Source: Usability.gov, retrieved 18:41, 3 March 2011 (CET)]

The Nasa usability toolkit includes a (by default copyright-free) table that also is organized by stages.

Tool / Method Requirements & Planning Stage Conceptual Design Stage Test & Evaluation Stage Resources Required Purpose of Method
Brainstorming X LOW Generates design ideas
Card sorting X X LOW Helps structure interface content
Cognitive walk through X X MEDIUM Checks structure and flow against user goals
Context of use analysis X LOW Specifies vital user and product characteristics
Contextual inquiry X MEDIUM Provides information about users' work context
Focus group X LOW Elicits user requirements/views through discussion
Functionality matrix X X LOW Specifies functions required to support tasks
Heuristic evaluation X X LOW Provides expert feedback on user interfaces
Interactive prototyping X MEDIUM/ HIGH Used for testing with users
Interview techniques X X LOW Provides detailed user experience about product usage
Observation X MEDIUM Describes user activity in detail
Paper prototyping X MEDIUM Tests design ideas with users
Parallel design X HIGH Provides one conceptual design idea from several
Participatory evaluation X X MEDIUM Detects task-related usability problems early in design
Rapid prototyping X MEDIUM Allows users to visualize future systems and evaluate
Scenarios X X MEDIUM Illustrates requirements and supports conceptual design
Storyboarding X MEDIUM Visualizes relationship between events and actions
Surveys X X HIGH Provides mass data from users
Task analysis X MEDIUM Analyses current user work in depth
User-based testing of design X MEDIUM Provides recommendations for how a design can be improved.
User-based testing of interaction X HIGH Measures usability and identifies interaction problems
WAMMI - Web site X LOW Provides an objective way of assessing user satisfaction
Wireframes X LOW Fast and easy concept prototyping that focuses on layout, navigation and high level content

Usability Body of Knowledge includes a the following list of articles: Affinity Diagramming, Brainstorming, Card Sorting, Checklist, Claims Analysis, Context of Use Analysis, Contextual Inquiry, Critical Incident Technique (CIT), Cultural Probe, Diary Study, Ethnography, Field Study, Focus Group, Formative Evaluation, Free Listing, Function Allocation, Heuristic Evaluation, Metaphor Brainstorming, Parallel Design, Phone Interview, Photo Study, Pluralistic Usability Walkthrough, Rapid Prototyping, Rating Scales, Storyboard, Wireframe, Wizard of Oz.

Links

Standalone introductions

Overview tables and articles

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