Web usability: Difference between revisions

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See also: [[usability]] (more general) [[web accessibility]], [[HCI]] (human-computer interaction the most important academic displine dealing with usability).
See also: [[usability]] (more general) [[web accessibility]], [[HCI]] (human-computer interaction the most important academic displine dealing with usability).


== Questionnaires for assessing website usability ==
== Web usability methods ==


There exist several published survey instruments. One of the most popular ones is the SUS which is short and does seem to yield reliable results acreoss sample sizes ([http://www.upassoc.org/usability_resources/conference/2004/UPA-2004-TullisStetson.pdf Tullis and Stetson], 2004).
Do not believe that usability testing is asking for opinions, e.g. with questionnaires, although it is sometimes done for various reasons, i.e. to obtain subjective impressions of a larger audience or also to test satisfaction. Usability testing may include several kinds of activities, but the most important is giving users tasks to do and to observer how they do.


The System Usability Scale (SUS) includes 10 items using a five-point response items (strongly disagree -- strongly agreee):
See [[Design and usability methods and techniques]] and if you are interested in survey see [[Usability and user experience surveys]]
1. I think that I would like to use this system frequently
2. I found the system unnecessarily complex
3. I thought the system was easy to use                     
4. I think that I would need the support of a technical person to be able to use this system
5. I found the various functions in this system were well integrated
6. I thought there was too much inconsistency in this system
7. I would imagine that most people would learn to use this system very quickly
8. I found the system very cumbersome to use
9. I felt very confident using the system
10. I needed to learn a lot of things before I could get going with this system


== Links ==
== Links ==
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* Sample chapter from Steve Krug, Don't Make Me Think!, Second Edition.
* Sample chapter from Steve Krug, Don't Make Me Think!, Second Edition.
** [http://sensible.com/chapter.html How we really use the Web]
** [http://sensible.com/chapter.html How we really use the Web]
* [http://www.userfocus.co.uk/resources/guidelines.html 247 web usability guidelines] (userfocus.uk.co, 2009)


=== Web sites ===
=== Web sites ===
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== Bibliography ==
== Bibliography ==


* Badre, Al (2002) Shaping Web usability—interaction design in context, Addison Wesley Professional, ISBN 0201729938.
See [[Interaction design, user experience and usability]]
** [http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=506671.506688 book preview by Jean Scholtz], Interactions Magazine, Volume 9 Issue 3, May 2002
** [http://my.safaribooksonline.com/web-development/usability/0201729938 Safari online version]
 
* Garret, Jesse James (2002), The Elements of USer Experience, User-Centered Design for the Web, New Riders Publishing. The [http://www.jjg.net/elements/ book homepage], includes a free central diagram plus free chapter two.
 
* Horton, Sarah (2002). Access by Design, New Riders, ISBN 0-321-31140-X.
 
* Horton, Sarah (2005). [http://www.universalusability.com/access_by_design/index.html Acces by Design online] at Universal Usability: A universal design approach to web usability.
 
* Lynch, Patrick J. and Sarah Horton (2009), ''Web Style Guide, Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites'', 3rd Edition, Yale University Press. ISBN 0300137370. (see also the free version)
 
* Lynch, Patrick J. and Sarah Horton (2009), [http://webstyleguide.com/wsg3/index.html Web Style Guide Online] (Free).
 
=== Other ===
 
* Brooke, John, 1996. SUS: A "quick and dirty" usability scale. In P. W. Jordan, B. Thomas, B. A. Weerdmeester, & I. L. McClelland (Eds.), Usability evaluation in industry (pp. 189–194). London: Taylor & Francis. [http://www.usabilitynet.org/trump/documents/Suschapt.doc DOC format]


[[Category: Ergonomics and human-computer interaction]]
[[Category: Ergonomics and human-computer interaction]]
[[Category: Web authoring]]
[[Category: Web authoring]]

Latest revision as of 22:53, 14 March 2011

Draft

Introduction

Al Badre's book is about an everlasting truth--a truth that many people, many companies, many organizations have learned the hard way. That is, when designing technological systems for people to use, one must take into account the characteristics of the users, and the nature of the task, and the knowledge, experience, biases, strengths, and weaknesses that the users bring to the task. In the case at hand, the task is using the World Wide Web.”, James D. Foley, cited by informIT, retrieved 16:51, 18 November 2010 (CET))

The essence of a web usability structure, is according to Badre (2002:chapter 2):

  • Where and under what conditions will the Web site be used?
  • For what purpose will the site be used?
  • Who will use the site (the target audience)?
  • How will the site be used?

See also: usability (more general) web accessibility, HCI (human-computer interaction the most important academic displine dealing with usability).

Web usability methods

Do not believe that usability testing is asking for opinions, e.g. with questionnaires, although it is sometimes done for various reasons, i.e. to obtain subjective impressions of a larger audience or also to test satisfaction. Usability testing may include several kinds of activities, but the most important is giving users tasks to do and to observer how they do.

See Design and usability methods and techniques and if you are interested in survey see Usability and user experience surveys

Links

Introductions

Web sites

See also usability and User interaction and user interface design

Topics

Online tools

  • fivesecondtest.com. Landing page optimization for your mocks and wireframes. (commercial, but you can do tests to earn tests).

Bibliography

See Interaction design, user experience and usability