let's talk usability!

Let’s Talk Usability

Fitzgerald Steele, Jr.Director of Marketing

Integrated DNA Technologies

@fjsteele

A little bit about me

1993 1996 1998 2000 2005 2008

2012

I speak many languages.

LET’S DO SOME USABILITY

What makes a system usable?

What makes a system usable?

• Visible System Status• System/Real World

Alignment• User Control and

Freedom• Consistency and

standards• Error Prevention

• Recognition over Recall• Flexibility and Efficiency• Aesthetic and

Minimalist Design• Help Users recognize,

diagnose, recover from errors

• Help and Documentation

http://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/

Getting Feedback

Quantitative Qualitative

Unmoderated

Moderated

What did we just do?

• Select a representative user• Ask the participant to perform a

representative task• Observe what the users do, where they

succeed. (Shut up and listen!)

http://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-101-introduction-to-usability/

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

• Partner with another person• Ask them to perform a task

– If you have something you’re building you want them to try, great!

– MegaBus: When is the cheapest time to ride to Chicago in the next 30 days

– Icgov.org: When will compost be available? Where can I get it• Observe, take notes

– Complete Task? Y / N / With Help– Time on Task– Errors

SO…HOW DID IT GO?

What’s the process?

• 5-10 users• Task completion rates, confidence intervals• Summarize, share, do something different

My Favorite Usability Peeps

• Jakob Nielson – Nielson/Norman Group• Jarod Spool – User Interface Engineering• Luke Wroblewski – LukeW• Jeff Gothelf – Perception Is The

Experience/Lean UX• Jeff Sauro – Measuring Usability

My Favorite Usability Toys

• Ethn.io – Recruiting• Loop11 – Unmoderated Testing• Optimal Workshop – Unmoderated IA• Verify – Design Surveys & feedback• Visual Website Optimizer – AB/Multivariate Testing• CrazyEgg - Heatmaps• GoToMeeting – Moderated Remote Testing• Google Analytics – Measure all the things, set goals, track

revenue• SurveyMonkey – Post Usability Study Surveys, Single Usability

Survey question

http://vimeo.com/92744606

I’m totally interested in hearing your

comments and questions!

@fjsteeleGithub: fitzgeraldsteelehttp://fitzgeraldsteele.wordpress.com