# Presentation: 385661

## Users, Usability, and You

**Federal Web Content Managers Conference**
- Wednesday, April 27, 2005
**Jean Fox, BLS**
**Janice R. Nall, GSA**

## Why Is Usability Important to Government Online Services? 

- The Federal Government is the largest single producer, collector, consumer, and disseminator of information in the United States.
- Government provides critical information...benefits, health info, safety alerts, commerce, education...
- 97 million adult Americans, or 77% of Internet users, took advantage of e-gov in 2003, whether that meant going to government websites or emailing government officials. This represented a growth of 50% from 2002.* **(Pew Internet in American Life, 2003)*

## Why Now?  Why Me/You?

- Government sites are heavily visited...and will be more visited in the future.  More visits = more work, questions, emails, complaints, calls, etc. if the site isn’t working.
- Users will begin to see commonality on Federal sites...you will be asked to implement additional policies.
- Federal web developers will be held to higher standards...is the site really better or just different...how can you prove it?
- Resources are diminishing...we’re all being asked to more with less.
- You care about your users’ experiences on your site.

## Federal Efforts In Process 

- It is essential that Government minimize the Federal paperwork burden on the public, minimize the cost of its information activities, and maximize the usefulness of government information. *(OMB Circular A-130, Management of Federal Information Resources)*
- Increasing focus on performance, metrics, data to support programs, technology, agency mission. *(Government Performance and Results Act of 1993)*
- The Federal Government is in the process of establishing specific requirements for Internet-based information technology to enhance citizen access to government information and services.  *(E-Government Act of 2002) *
- Interagency Committee on Government Information – establishing policies on web content, search/taxonomy, and electronic record-keeping

## Why We Do It

- 62% of web shoppers gave up looking for an item.  *(Zona study)*
- 50% of web sales are lost because visitors can’t easily find content. *(Gartner Group)*
- 40% of repeat visitors do not return due to a negative experience. *(Zona study)*
- 85% of visitors abandon a new site due to poor design. *(cPulse)*
- Only 51% of sites complied with simple web usability principles. *(Forrester study of 20 major sites)*

## Why We Do It

**Forrester Review of 125 Websites (2003)**
- 78% failed to provide adequate search results.
- 66% failed to provide in-depth overview of site contents on the home page.
- 64% ineffectively use of space on page layout.
- 54% were not accessible.
- 50% used text that was illegible.

## Why We Do It

**Usability Engineering Works**
- It’s user-centric (not developer-centric)
- It’s based on data, not opinions
- It’s testable and verifiable
- It’s performance-driven
- Saves money and time
**Research-based Information Design Works**
- Removes much of the controversy in opinion
- Performance oriented – measurably better/faster/etc.
- Takes the guesswork out – allows you to focus on what you don’t
-      know – to solve problems

## What Is Usability?

- Usefulness
- Degree to which users can successfully achieve goals/complete tasks
- Effectiveness
- Ability of users to accomplish goals with speed & ease
- Learnability
- Ability to operate the system to some defined level of competence after some predetermined amount of training
- Satisfaction
- Attitude of users, including perceptions, feelings and opinions of the product
- .

- Booth, Paul.  An Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction.  London:  Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989

## What Is Usability Engineering?

- An _evidence-based_ methodology that _involves end users_ _throughout the development process_ to produce information systems that are _measurably_ easier to use, learn, and remember
- Usability Engineering involves:
- Collecting data about users’ needs/wants/behaviors
- Developing prototypes
- Evaluating the prototypes
- Designing and testing iteratively

## Usability Engineering (UE) is NOT

- Usability testing just before deployment
- Simply applying guidelines during design
- Conducting evaluations without incorporating recommendations
- Any individual usability method on its own

## Usability is NOT

- A nebulous, vague construct
- Merely cosmetic
- A property inherent in a product
- It depends on the users, tasks, and work environments

## Other Terms to Know

- User-Centered Design
- Ergonomics
- User Interface Design
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Human Factors
- Engineering Psychology

## Fitting UE into Development 

- It’s easy!
- A trained Usability Professional can work within the project schedule.
- There are different methods for different phases of development.
- It can save time and money by preventing significant investment in poor designs.

## Sample Usability Methods

- User and Task Analyses
- “Contextual Inquiry”
- Observations of users in their natural setting
- Focus Groups
- Interviews
- Expert Reviews
- Usability Tests

## Strategies for Success

- For Management
- Gain support of Sr. Management and Project Leaders.
- Use an iterative development process.
- Include usability throughout a project, not just at the end.
- Work with trained usability professionals.
- Encourage information sharing (esp. “marketing” type groups with access to user information)

## Strategies for Success

- For Usability Professionals** **
- Start with a small usability effort.
- Identify solutions, not just problems.
- Consider limitations when recommending solutions
- Consider all user populations.
- Participate as an equal team member, not a consultant.
- Have team members watch usability tests.
- Address all components, including manuals & training.

## Usability Engineering Process

- Steps in the process
- Plan
- Design
- Test
- Refine
- Test
- Refine
- Test
- Refine...

## Traditional Development Process

## User-Centered Design Process

- Plan

- Design

- Test

- Refine

- Test

- Refine

## Planning

- Planning Steps
- Define purpose / vision for the site
- Develop business objectives
- Define audiences & goals
- Conduct task analysis
- Determine measurable usability objectives
- Discuss expectations, requirements & preferences
- Timeline and project plan

## Planning:  Site Purpose & Goals

- “Although the needs of the user and the organization are connected, each has a different point of view.  Each point of view must be honored and satisfied.”
- John Cato
- User-Centered Web Design
- Two main aspects of a web site
- What use is it to the organization?
- What use it is to the user?

## Planning:  Site Purpose & Goals

- What is the purpose of the site?
- Why are we building a site?
- What are the goals of the site?
- Why are we developing a web site?
- What does success look like?
- How will we know when we have been successful?
- How would you describe the site?
- From an organization’s viewpoint?
- From a user’s viewpoint?

**Notes:**
Begin your first design meeting by asking these two questions.  It is important to WRITE your goals down. 

Begin your first meeting, by asking everyone to answer the first question.  Use note cards and have everyone put one idea per card.  Gather the cards up and write them on a whiteboard.  Then, as a group, identify the top three to five goals you want to achieve.  

Once the goals are established, have the group work on the answer to #2.  “How will we know when we have been successful”.  DEVELOP MEASURABLE GOALS.  We talk more about developing measurable usability objectives, in depth, later this morning.  

## Planning:  Site Purpose & Goals

| Organization’s Purpose | Visitor’s Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| To promote awareness.
To reduce support calls.  |  To get information.
 To answer a question.
   |
| To improve employee communication |  To get work done fast.  |
| To sell merchandise. | To learn about products.
To purchase products.
To comparison shop. |

**Notes:**
Discovery is the process of finding out everything you can about what you are going to design and defining the design requirement.  User-Centered Design, John Cato

Discovery Questions: 
Can you describe the product’s purpose?  From an organizational viewpoint?  From a user viewpoint?

The purpose of user-centered design is to design a useful, usable, effective, efficient and satisfying system for users that ALSO meets business objectives.  

A good example is when there is a connection between business goals and users goals.  Bad design occurs when there is a disconnect between the organization’s purpose and the visitor’s purpose.  

## Planning:  Site Purpose & Goals

- Good Example:  Walmart.com Gardening Center

| Organization’s Purpose | Visitor’s Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| To sell plants.  |  To get information.
 To learn about products. |

## Slide 25

## Slide 26

## Planning:  Site Purpose & Goals

**Not so good example:  New York State Web Site**

| Organization’s Purpose | Visitor’s Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| To promote the governor. | ? |
| ? | To find info about the state. |

**Notes:**
Visitor’s purpose is to get information on cancer, to join a clinical trial, to get funding, etc...

Need to think about USERS throughout the design process.  Everything on your site must benefit users, otherwise, it will never be used.  

## Planning:  Site Purpose & Goals

**If it’s not useful to users, it will never be used!**

## Planning:  Defining Users

- Who are we developing the site for?
- User Characteristics
- Who is the site for?
- What are the users like?
- Environmental Characteristics
- When/where will they access the site?
- Goal & Task Characteristics
- Why will they come to the site?
- What will they do on the site?

**Notes:**
User needs, interests and goals.

User tasks and priorities

## Planning:  Defining Users

- User Needs, Interests, Goals
- Why will users visit your site?
- To find information?
- To use functionality?  (i.e. mortgage calculator)
- To purchase products?
- What will users do on the site?
- Which tasks are the most important?
- Which tasks will users use the most? (frequency)

## Planning: Usability Objectives

- “It has long been said you cannot manage what you cannot measure.  Nowhere is this more true than on the web – where examining what works and what doesn’t directly affects the bottom line.” *(Forrester Research)*
- Usability objectives must be:
- Determined at the beginning of the project.
- Agreed upon by all team members.
- Written down; Referred to often.
- Measurable

## User Research: Gathering & Analyzing Data

- When you sit down at your first planning meeting, you are NOT going to have all the information you need about users, their characteristics and their goals.
- In order to get this information, you will most likely have to do some research.
- There are several types of research.  You need to decide what type is best for your project, timeframe, budget, audience, etc.

## Methods of Data Collection
Personal Interviews
Contextual Inquiries
Focus Groups 
Support Line/Phone Calls
E-mail
Web Logs
Surveys
Usability Testing

- Personal Interviews
- Contextual Inquiries
- Focus Groups
- Support Line/Phone Calls
- E-mail
- Web Logs
- Surveys
- Usability Testing

- User Research: Gathering & Analyzing Data

## User Research: Gathering & Analyzing Data

- User Research: Gathering & Analyzing Data

## User Research: Gathering & Analyzing Data

- User Research: Gathering & Analyzing Data

## Design	

- Translating Data into Design
- User profiles
- List of user characteristics
- User personas
- Narrative of user characteristics
- Task lists
- Tasks ranked by importance, frequency, and feasibility
- Task matrix
- Tasks ordered by users
- Task flow
- Diagram of steps in a process

## Translating Data into Design

**	****	****	****	****User Personas**
-    **Sarah Parker**
- 	Sarah is a Senior Marketing Specialist with seven years of experience planning health campaigns.
- 	She works in a large office where she handles multiple projects.  She is constantly busy and struggles with a limited budget.
- 	Sarah can easily identify the steps necessary to carry out each project.  She doesn’t need help determining how to approach the planning process and mainly uses the various resources available as a reference.
- 	Sarah would appreciate any tool or resource that could help her get her work done faster and more efficiently.

## Slide 43

## Translating Data into Design

- Task List
- Prioritize list of tasks by:
- Importance
- Frequency of Use
- Feasibility

| Online Banking Tasks | Importance | Frequency | Feasibility |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| To check account balances.  |  |  |  |
| To transfer funds.  |  |  |  |
|  To pay bills.  |  |  |  |
|  To order checks.  |  |  |  |
| To change address.  |  |  |  |

**Notes:**
Importance and frequency are determined by users and should be completed first.  Feasibility is determined by project team after importance and frequency are completed.  

It may be more important to do one really big, difficult task than 10 small tasks.  It depends on what is important to users.  

## Translating Data into Design

- Task Matrix
- List of tasks by user

| University Tasks | Prospective | Students | Alumni | Faculty |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  To apply for admission.  | X |  |  |  |
|  To find a contact number. | X | X | X | X |
|  To register for classes. |  | X |  |  |
|  To access course catalog. | X | X | X | X |
|  To donate money. |  |  | X |  |
|  To request a transcript. |  | X | X |  |

**Notes:**
NCI

Find Cancer Information:  Patients, Physicians, Researchers, Family Members
To apply for Clinical Trials:  Patients

It may be more important to do one really big, difficult task than 10 small tasks.  It depends on what is important to users.  

## Translating Data into Design

- Use task matrix in conjunction with user profiles

| NCI Tasks | Researchers | Physicians | Patients | Family |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  To find health information.   | X | X | X | X |
|  To apply for a clinical trial. |  |  | X |  |
|  To apply for a grant. | X | X |  |  |

- To Find Health Information
- Are researchers, physicians, patients, and family members all looking for the same health information?
- Need to consider user profile, including:
- Relationship to organization
- Knowledge level
- Familiarity with topic
**Usability Handbook:  Task Matrix*

**Notes:**

It may be more important to do one really big, difficult task than 10 small tasks.  It depends on what is important to users.  

**Notes:**
Does it make sense to segment by user?  It depends

## Translating Data into Design

- Task Flow
- Diagram that shows tasks in order performed.

- Identify
- Users

- Set
- Goals

- Assess
- Tasks

- Priorities

- Importance?
- Feasibility?

- Yes

- Define
- Scope

- No

- Future
- Phase

- Design

- Test

- Launch

## Designing the Initial Prototype

- Content
- Information Architecture
- Graphic Design
- Programming & Accessibility

## Designing the Initial Prototype

- Writing for the Web
- More info:
- _[www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html](http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html)_
- _[www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/rewriting.html](http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/rewriting.html)_
- _[www.webpagecontent.com](http://www.webpagecontent.com/)_
- _[www.usability.gov/guidelines](http://www.usability.gov/guidelines)_

## Designing the Initial Prototype

- Information Architecture
- Defined as the organization of the content and tasks
- How do users search for info?
- Known-Item
- Users know exactly what they are looking for.
- They know what it is called and that it exits.
- They just want to find it.
- Casual Browsing
- Users have an idea of what they are looking for.
- They may not know the right labels or what it is called.
- They may not know if the info even exists.

**Notes:**
More likely to use search in known-item search.  I.e. CDs, videos , books, product numbers, claim numbers, tax forms 

Spool (2002) evaluated the click patterns of users who: 
Knew exactly what they wanted, and
Found what they wanted

Users who used: 
Links took an average of 4.4 clicks
Search took an average of 5.1 clicks

One study reported that users found their desired content far more often when they navigated by using links rather than using the search capabilities
Success rates
Using Linking was successful 53% of the time  
Using Search was successful 30% of the time

The more familiar users are with the site’s terminology and organization, the more likely they will use Linking, rather than Searching
When most users to a site are new, or visit  infrequently, designers should present more links
By providing more links, designers are presenting more options to users

Users may first scan for words related to achieving their goal
Some of these words
Will be part of the content of a page,
Will be links to other places
On the same page
On another page within the website
On another page on another website
When users cannot efficiently find appropriate links, they may “create their own links” by entering search terms into a search box

## Designing the Initial Prototype

**Card Sorting**
- What is it?
- Technique that explores how users group items
- Helps to develop structures that are logical to users
- Maximizes probability of users finding info
-  Advantages/Disadvantages?
- Easy and inexpensive
- Helps to develop categories that are logical to users
- Helps to identify items that need to be renamed
- Helps with terminology
- Sometimes difficult to analyze, tools have limitations

## Designing the Initial Prototype

**Card Sorting**
- More info on Card Sorting:
- http://www.stcsig.org/usability/topics/cardsorting.html
- http://iawiki.net/CardSorting
- _[http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/edu/wa-dw-uscard-i.html](http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/edu/wa-dw-uscard-i.html)_

## Designing the Initial Prototype

**Parallel Design**
- What is it?
- Process used to quickly create multiple iterations
- Incorporate the best elements from several designs
- How to do it?
- Independently create a schematic of a page and/or function
- Schematics are displayed for everyone to observe
- Revise schematic to incorporate best elements from designs
- Advantages/Disadvantages?
- Great brainstorming technique
- Ensures team considers multiple designs
- Can be time-consuming

## Designing the Initial Prototype

**Paper Prototyping**
- What is it?
- Low-tech method that allows you to test early, before design and development
- Paper drawings of pages
-  How to do it?
- Participants are shown the paper prototype and given scenarios
- Participants are asked to point to where they would click
- Advantages/Disadvantages?
- Helps to find problems early
- Inexpensive, saves development time
- Help determine affordance (does it look clickable)

## Designing the Initial Prototype

- Graphic Design
- The graphic design should add a layer of usability, not reduce the usefulness of a solid information architecture.
- Test design independently of content and navigation.
- Use guidelines to assist.

## Logo

- _Home_
- _Get a Print Copy _
- _Contact Us_

_**Plan & Set Goals**_
-   Setting objectives
-   Creating a project plan & timeline
-   Writing the communication plan
_**Define Audiences**_
-   Segmenting audiences
-   Considering gender, age & education
-   Understanding culture, language & literacy
_**Develop the Message**_
-   Brainstorming ideas & concepts
-   Testing messages, readability & design
-   Appealing to the audience
_**Disseminate the Message**_
-   Developing & distributing materials
-   Creating newsletters & brochures
-   Using Internet, TV & radio
_**Work with the Media**_
-   Developing news releases & media kits
-   Holding press conferences
-   Handling crisis communications
_**Evaluate the Program**_
-   Setting evaluation goals
-   Selecting methods for evaluation
-   Revising your program

- _About this Site_	   _Get a Print Copy_       _Contact Us _      _Privacy Policy_

**Search**

**Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Health Communication Program**

_**Research Methods**_
**  **Focus groups & interviews
-   Surveys & questionnaires
_**Partnerships**_
-   Partnerships with organizations
-   Coalition-building
_**Frameworks, Models, Theory**_
-   Social Marketing
-   PRECEDE-PROCEED
_**Samples, Worksheets & Tools**_
-   communication plans & budgets
-   creative briefs
-   evaluation plans
-   brochures, ads, radio spots
-   focus group moderator’s guide
_**Case Studies**_
-   Doctor-patient communication
-   Mammography and 55+ women
-   Low-literacy campaigns

- Making Health Communication Programs Work

**Items to Consider **
**Through Each Step **

**Samples & Tools to Help You**

## Slide 58

## Slide 59

**Notes:**
Show clips of Pink Book Testing
Show clips of Redbook Testing

## Designing the Initial Prototype

- Accessibility
- Cannot be an afterthought
- Needs to be considered at the beginning of a project

## Usability Testing

**What is usability?**
- Usefulness
- Degree to which users can successfully achieve goals
- Effectiveness (ease of use)
- Ability of users to accomplish goals with speed & ease
- Learnability
- Ability to operate the system to some defined level of competence after some predetermined amount/period of training
- Satisfaction / Likeability
- Attitude of users, includes perceptions, feelings and opinions of the product
- Booth, Paul.  An Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction.  London:  Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989.

## Usability Testing

**Measures of Usability**
- Effectiveness *(Ability to successfully accomplish tasks)*
- Percentage of goals/tasks achieved (success rate)
- Number of errors
- Efficiency *(Ability to accomplish tasks with speed and ease)*
- Time to complete a task
- Frequency of requests for help
- Number of times facilitator provides assistance
- Number of times user gives up

## Usability Testing

**Measures of Usability**
**Satisfaction** *(Pleasing to users)*
- Positive and negative ratings on a satisfaction scale
- Percent of favorable comments to unfavorable comments
- Number of good vs. bad features recalled after test
- Number of users who would use the system again
- Number of times users express dissatisfaction or frustration
**Learnability** *(Ability to learn how to use site and remember it)*
- Ratio of successes to failures
- Number of features that can be recalled after the test

## Usability Testing

- Planning
- Define goals
- Determine who will participate
- Select appropriate tasks
- Plan logistics
- Conducting
- Assign roles
- Conduct test
- Collect data
- Analyzing & implementing results
- Prioritize findings
- Implement and retest

## Usability Testing

**Usability objectives should be set at the beginning of the project!**
- Two types of goals:
- Performance
- What actually happened
- Preference
- What participants thought

## Usability Testing

**Examples of Usability Objectives: **
- Two-thirds of test participants (6 of 9) will be able to complete x% of tasks in the time allotted.
- Participants will be able to complete x% of tasks in 200% of developer’s time.
- Participants will be able to complete x% of tasks with no more than one error per task.
- Two-thirds of test participants (6 of 9) will rate the system as highly usable on a scale of x to x.

## Usability Testing

- Determine who will participate
- User profiles
- Match characteristics from user analysis
- Select representative group of users
- Selecting participants
- Recruiting – recruitment firms, databases, conferences
- Numbers – target numbers, floaters
- Schedule – allow recoup time
- Pre-Questionnaires – profile of participants
- Incentives – consent & payment form

## Usability Testing

**Select Appropriate Tasks**
- Focus on core tasks, prioritize by
- Frequency
- Importance
- Vulnerability
- Readiness
- Ensure each task is measurable.  Define success measures for each task.
- Include pathway information for observers
- List the items that should be recorded for each task so note-takers and observers record the appropriate information
- Conduct a pilot test to look for give-away wording, confusing scenarios and to work on timing

## Usability Testing

**Create Scenarios**
- Avoid give-away wording
- Make the first task simple
- Give a goal, without describing steps
- Use scenarios (short stories), not tasks
- Ask participants to bring typical examples of their work

## Usability Testing

**Plan Logistics**
- Test location
- Lab, office, usability / market research facility
- Prepare for observers
- One-way glass observation room
- Projected onto screen in adjoining room
- Traffic flow of participants
- Audio & video recording
- Value of highlight tape

## Usability Testing

**Plan Logistics**
- Materials needed
- Screening questionnaire
- Background questionnaire
- Pre- and Post-test questionnaires
- Video release form
- Incentive signature form
- Schedule
- Facilitator’s guide
- Participants’ scenarios
- Observers’ scenarios (with pathways included)
- Data collection materials (with measurements defined)

## Usability Testing

**Facilitator’s Role**
- Establish rapport
- Listen more than you speak
- Ask questions neutrally
- Have a clear understanding of goals and critical issues
- Use open-ended questions
- Do not lead the participant
- Do not put words into the participant’s mouth
- Watch your body language

## Usability Testing

**Collecting data**
- Performance
- Objective *(what actually happened)*
- Usually Quantitative
- Time to complete a task
- Time to recover from an error
- Number of errors
- Percentage of tasks completed successfully
- Number of clicks
- Pathway information

## Usability Testing

**Collecting data**
**Preference **
- Subjective *(what participants thought)*
- Usually Qualitative
- Preference of versions
- Suggestions and comments
- Ratings or rankings *(can be quantitative)*

## Usability Testing

**Collecting data**
**Observation** – What actually happened
**Inference** – What you think it means
**User Comments** – What the participants actually says
- Important to distinguish between these

## Usability Testing

**Analyzing the data**
- Quantitative data
- Statistics (number of clicks, errors rate, time, etc.)
- Look for trends
- Qualitative data
- Attitude, comments

## Usability Testing

**Prioritize findings**
- Usability goals met?
- Prioritize tasks that performed the worst according to goals
- Prioritize findings by frequency / importance
- Prioritize recommendations by feasibility

## Usability Testing

**Report findings and recommendations**
- Make report usable for *your* users
- Include quantitative data (success rates, times, etc.)
- Avoid words like “few, many, several”.  Include counts
- Use quotes
- Use screenshots
- Mention positive findings
- Do not use participant names, use P1, P2, P3, etc.
- Include recommendations
- Make it short
**Implement and retest!**

## Slide 80

## Slide 81

## HHS Site:  Baseline vs. Redesign Comparison

| Scenario Text | Success Rate |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  | Baseline Test | Final Prototype |
| You want to find a nursing home for a relative. | 38% | 88% |
| You want to know what diabetes is and how you can prevent it. | 73% | 94% |
| You want to know what housing organizations are available to help assist the homeless in your area. | 13% | 94% |
| You want to know what the Fiscal Year 2001 budget for HHS was. | 71% | 94% |
| Your cousin is considering a career in medical research and asked you if HHS offers financial aid to undergraduate students. | 8% | 88% |
| Average success rate | 41% | 92% |

## Other Evaluation Methods

**Heuristic Evaluation**
- What is it?
- Expert review of web site based on established guidelines
- How do you do it?
- Conducted by usability expert (best to include multiple reviewers)
- Experts review site for compliance with established principles
- Advantages/Disadvantages?
- Provides a reference of issues to be tested
- Subjective, not real users
- Not always accurate, identifies false positives
- 50% False Alarms, 20% Misses, 50% Hits
- 	(Catani and Biers, 1998, Rooden, Green and Kanis, 1999, Stanton and Stevenage, 1998, Spencer, 2000, Jacobsen and John, 2000)

## Refine

- Most important step is to refine....
- Test
- Refine
- Test
- Refine....

## Federal Usability Resources

- Many usability resources and training are available.
- YOU can add to those resources.

## Usability.gov

- _[http://usability.gov](http://usability.gov/)_
**Website to help increase the usability of Federal websites and online applications**
- Includes usability basics, methodology, tools, resources, lessons learned, and more
- Built for Federal web/communication technology developers but available to anyone
- Currently undergoing redesign
- Cosponsored by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and GSA

## Research-based Web Usability

**Research-based Web Design and Usability Guidelines (2003)**
- 187 guidelines based on research in usability, user interfaces, human factors
- Peer-reviewed by usability experts, usability researchers, and website developers/designers
- PDF available on _[http://usability.gov](http://usability.gov/)__ (web version coming soon), Book available on amazon_
- Update in process
- Cosponsored by HHS and GSA

## Usability University

**Free seminars and low-cost courses on usability topics  primarily held in Washington, DC area**
- Spring 04 – 387 Federal staff/contractors representing more than 30 agencies attended
- Cosponsored by GSA & HHS
**Spring 2005 schedule**
**     ****Courses:**
-      _[http://usability.gov/usabilityuniversity/training.htm](http://usability.gov/usabilityuniversity/training.htm)_
-      **Seminars:**
-      _[http://usability.gov/usabilityuniversity/seminar.htm](http://usability.gov/usabilityuniversity/seminar.htm)_

## U-Group e-newsletter

**GSA e-newsletter on usability topics**
- To subscribe:
- 	Send email to _[listserv@listserv.gsa.gov](mailto:listserv@listserv.gsa.gov)__ and type the following command in the body of message:          subscribe u-group_
- September, 2004 Issue – Older Users and the Web
- _[http://www.gsa.gov/u-group](http://www.gsa.gov/u-group)_

## Usability Testing Environment (UTE) Tool

**Automated tool that collects quantitative and qualitative data generated in usability testing**
- Will provide easier, more accurate, and quantitative reporting of website usability performance and preference data
- Beta version in testing now, will be available to all Federal web/application developers
- Cosponsored by GSA, IRS, NRC, HHS, NIST IUSR Project

## STEP508 Accessibility Tool

**Accessibility prioritization tool that takes results of accessibility evaluation tools (Bobby, LIFT, WebKing, etc.) and prioritizes the accessibility errors**
- Helps developers assess current state of accessibility of website, prioritize the accessibility problems to fix, and track progress in fixing accessibility errors over time
- Free download from _[http://section508.gov/step](http://section508.gov/step)_
- Cosponsored by GSA and HHS

## Usability Organizations

**Usability Professionals Association (UPA)**
-          _[http://usabilityprofessionals.org](http://usabilityprofessionals.org/)_
**Society for Technical Communication (STC)**
-          _[http://stc.org](http://stc.org/)_
**Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES)**
- 	     _[http://hfes.org](http://hfes.org/)_
**Association for Computing Machinery/SIGchi**
- 	     _[http://acm.org](http://acm.org/)_

## 2:1  Display Information in a Directly Usable Format

**Sources:  6**

**Importance**

**Evidence**

**Notes:**
-These icons are used as primary navigation features on a website.  Are they clear? 
-The first set are off of a fitness and health website and the second is off of the old IRS.
-Please put in a one word item that best describes the icon. (Let’s see if someone in the class can get these all right.  You guys have been looking at icons for years, let’s see if you can get them all right.)
-After the exercise, ask users what the icon is.  Have them debate each one.
(Study found that designers select artistic icons while users select ones that are more functional.)

## 2:1  Display Information in a Directly Usable Format

-  Diet	 Family   Drugs   Sex     Mind    Body

**Sources:  6**

**Importance**

**Evidence**

- Previous         Next         Home       Search        Help

**Notes:**
These icons are used as primary navigation features on a website.  Are they clear?  Please place a word next to each.

## Contact

**Jean Fox**
- Research Psychologist
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Room 1950
- Washington, DC 20212
- _[Fox.jean@bls.gov](mailto:Fox.jean@bls.gov)_
- 202/691-7370
**Janice R. Nall**
- Manager, Usability Solutions Group
- General Services Administration (GSA)
- 1800 F Street NW, Suite 1234
- Washington, DC 20405
- _[janice.nall@gsa.gov](mailto:janice.nall@gsa.gov)_
- 202/219-1544

## What Is Usability?

- Usefulness
- Degree to which users can successfully achieve goals/complete tasks
- Effectiveness
- Ability of users to accomplish goals with speed & ease
- Learnability
- Ability to operate the system to some defined level of competence after some predetermined amount of training
- Satisfaction
- Attitude of users, including perceptions, feelings and opinions of the product
- .

- Booth, Paul.  An Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction.  London:  Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989

## What Is Usability Engineering?

- An _evidence-based_ methodology that _involves end users_ _throughout the development process_ to produce information systems that are _measurably_ easier to use, learn, and remember
- Usability Engineering involves:
- Collecting data about users’ needs/wants/behaviors
- Developing prototypes
- Evaluating the prototypes
- Designing and testing iteratively

## Usability Engineering is NOT

- Usability testing just before deployment
- Simply applying guidelines during design
- Conducting evaluations without incorporating recommendations
- Any individual usability method on its own

## Other Terms to Know

- User-Centered Design
- Ergonomics
- User Interface Design
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Human Factors
- Engineering Psychology

## Fitting UE into Development 

- It’s easy!
- A trained Usability Professional can work within the project schedule.
- There are different methods for different phases of development.
- It can save time and money by preventing significant investment in poor designs.

## Sample Usability Methods

- User and Task Analyses
- “Contextual Inquiry”
- Observations of users in their natural setting
- Focus Groups
- Interviews
- Expert Reviews
- Usability Tests

## Strategies for Success

- For Management
- Gain support of Sr. Management and Project Leaders.
- Use an iterative development process.
- Include usability throughout a project, not just at the end.
- Work with trained usability professionals.
- Encourage information sharing (esp. “marketing” type groups with access to user information)

## Strategies for Success

- For Usability Professionals** **
- Start with a small usability effort.
- Identify solutions, not just problems.
- Consider limitations when recommending solutions
- Consider all user populations.
- Participate as an equal team member, not a consultant.
- Have team members watch usability tests.
- Address all components, including manuals & training.