syllabus
calendar
blackboard
student.email resources

last.updated 11.13.05

Usability Research

Purpose

Usability research is important for the development of many products–from web sites, to software documentation, to the VCRs that we sometimes have problems programming. The purpose of usability research is to learn how the target audience will use the product that you have created, so that you can address their concerns before the general public uses (or purchases) the product. Often this type of research involves conducting tests with similar existing goods and services, or testers will use a beta versios of the product they are testing. It is important that the focus of the test is on improving the product, rather than changing the audience.

Today we will discuss the implications of usability research followed by a demonstration of a usability test.

Before Class

• Read Spinuzzi's "Light green doesn't mean hydrology" [Computers and Composition 18.1]
• Read...
  • Microsoft's Usability FAQ
  • Microsoft: Lab Studies
  • Microsoft: Usability Lab

FTP Tutorial

Use the following tutorial about File Transfer Protocol to move files to the ODU library server where your web site will be housed until the end of the semester.

Questions about Readings

• What is Spinnuzi's argument?
• What do we learn about audience's expectations from Spinnuzi's research?
• Spinnuzi's article is about a specialized software; however, what wisdom can you take from this discussion that is applicable to the development of a web site.
• What are the advantages of conducting usability research? disadvantages?

Other resources

• Usability.gov (Dept. of Health and Human Services's resource for designing web pages)
• Jacob Neilson's Useit.com (Resources provided by a recognized usability guru)
• OK/Cancel (Comic strip about usability)

Workshop

The rest of the class will be used to give you an opportunity to work on your web sites.