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Essay on A Critical Analysis of Website Usability Testing
The e-commerce world also recognizes the need for easy-to-use online systems that help rather than hinder their customers. In 1997, usability studies found that even the most respected sites defeated users. In fact, “Most of some 70 users could not find specific information they were instructed to find a majority of the time,” (Radosevich, 1997, 81). Many of the downfalls are result from using common-sense design principles.
Reasons to test the site with users that are not involved in the site’s creation include the unintentional effects of color selection, templates, icons and other elements that are used consistently throughout a site (Duncker, 2000). Also, the site needs to be tested with a variety of end-users to ensure the site meets their end-needs including: functional, informational, structural, time-related, and spatial concerns (Gulikson, 1999).
Even though OhioLINK is focusing on the end-user, rather than library staff, in this first stage, the diversity among end-users still demands that attention be given to the different needs of a distance learning student and the on-campus graduate student. Recognizing that this redesign begins with the end-user’s needs is the first step in user-centered design.
In The Handbook of Usability Studies, Rubin credits Woodson’s definition as the clearest practicing definition. It is defined as "the practice of designing products so that users can perform required use, operation, service, and supportive tasks with a minimum of stress and maximum of efficiency” (1994, 10). Decisions are not left to the intuition of the design team.
Instead, every element is created with the end-user and his or her needs in mind and then tested.
Of the methods most commonly used in user-based computer usability studies; verbal protocol was determined to be the most efficient method of data collection (Morrison, 1999). Morrison found two major advantages to this method to be the quantity and quality of data gathered, but the disadvantage to be that it is a time intensive method (1999)....
