Users First! (PDF)

Users First!An Introduction to Usability and User-CenteredDesign and Development for Technical Informationand ProductsAndrea L. AmesOwner/Consultant, UcentricsCertificate Coordinator and Instructor, UCSC Ext.Assistant to the President for Recognition, STCPrincipal Technical Writer, Vertical Networks© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)About Andreaƒ Technical communicator since 1983ƒ Online information presentation focus since 1989ƒ Consultant since 1995ƒ User-centered design and development process and start-tofinishusability—analysis, design, testingƒ Focus primarily on software product user interfaces andinteractive information systems, including Webƒ Coordinator of two University of California, Santa Cruz,Extension technical communication certificatesƒ Society for Technical Communication Board ofDirectors© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)2© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 1

Discussion Topicsƒ The problem and the solution: Usabilityƒ Achieving usability through user-centeredprocessesƒ Characteristics of usability: The typical usabilityadoption processƒ Where to go from here: Skills and knowledgeƒ Resources© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)3The Problem/Solution: Usability h The ProblemThe Problem: Products Are Hard to Useƒ Emphasis on products and selling, not endusers—product buyer may not be userƒ Design? What design? Designing usableproducts is difficult due to the humanfactor—need to understand users’ mentalmodelsƒ Development organizations have little tono process—forget user-centered!ƒ Information development processes are atthe mercy of product development—typically not integrated© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)4© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 2

The Problem/Solution: Usability h How Documentation AffectedHow Usability Issues AffectDocumentationƒ Compensation for unusableproductsƒ Documentation is a finger in theeroding dam of an unusableproductƒ We’re losing the battle, becausetraditional documentationdeliverables are not working© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)5The Problem/Solution: Usability h The SolutionThe Solution: Usabilityƒ One of many product characteristics—includesƒ Usefulnessƒ Intuitive or intuitableƒ Ease of use (aka usability)ƒ Ease of learningƒ Likeabilityƒ A result of an iterative, user-centered designand development process© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)6© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 3

The Problem/Solution: Usability h Product Characteristics Affecting UsabilityAdditional Product Characteristics ThatAffect Usability—Ones We Don’tTypically Think Much Aboutƒ High-performanceƒ Maintainableƒ Reliableƒ Manufacture-ableƒ Functionalƒ Compatibleƒ Portableƒ Localize-able/internationalize-able© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)7The Problem/Solution: Usability h What Usability Is NotUsability Is Not…ƒ Only usability testingƒ Just a back-end attempt to rectify designproblemsƒ Occurring only late in thedesign/development process© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)8© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 4

Achieving Usability Through UCD&D h A User-Centered ProcessUser-Centered Design andDevelopment ProcessPlanning, Scheduling, and SpecificationManaging and TrackingAnalysis3. design10. maintain/support/improve1. validate2. informDesign6. implementDevelopment/Implementation9. release/publishProduct/Process/Document4. validate5. inform7. validateValidation/Evaluation8. informTechnologiesTools"Required"phases/stepsValidate analysisresults/requirements;incorporateresultsValidate design forusability;incorporate resultsValidateimplementation foradherence torequirements/specifications;incorporateresultsLeading and Empowering People and Developing Careers© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)9Achieving Usability Through UCD&D h Breaking It DownLooking at Analysis, Design, andValidation in Detailƒ Making the caseƒ Roles and responsibilitiesƒ Timing, techniques, and toolsƒ Output/deliverables© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)10© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 5

Achieving Usability Through UCD&D h AnalysisMaking the Caseƒ If you don’t have time to do itright, when will you have time todo it over?ƒ Meeting/beating the competitionƒ Business case/value proposition(support, training, anddocumentation costs)ƒ Capitalizing on usability ofproducts in the press/market© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)11Achieving Usability Through UCD&D h AnalysisRoles and Responsibilitiesƒ Designers should do analysisƒ If implementers can do some analysis, aswell, so much the betterƒ Get marketing and executives involved, ifanalysis information begins to contradictbusiness strategy/shared vision© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)12© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 6

Achieving Usability Through UCD&D h AnalysisTiming, Techniques, & Toolsƒ Before designƒ Surveys/questionnairesƒ Interviewsƒ Task analysisƒ Focus groupsƒ In-company researchƒ Contextual inquiry, aka site visits© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)13Achieving Usability Through UCD&D h AnalysisOutput/Deliverablesƒ Archetypes/personasƒ User role modelsƒ Audience/user profileƒ Process/task flows, maps, modelsƒ Use case scenarios© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)14© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 7

Achieving Usability Through UCD&D h DesignTiming, Techniques, & Toolsƒ Before implementation (coding/writing)ƒ Use output of analysis processƒ Content modelingƒ Interaction/navigation modelingƒ Participatory design© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)17Achieving Usability Through UCD&D h DesignOutput/DeliverablesƒDetailed design specification(s)ƒDetailed storyboard(s), wireframe(s)ƒPaper and skeletal electronicprototype(s)© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)18© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 9

Achieving Usability Through UCD&D h ValidationMaking the Caseƒ We think we designed the right thing, but how do weknow for sure?ƒ Gather data vs. subjective information and opinionsƒ Minimize risk: Validate before we ship and can’t sellƒ Create historical record of usability benchmarks forfuture useƒ Minimize cost of service, support,training, and documentationƒ Increase sales and probability ofrepeat sales© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)19Achieving Usability Through UCD&D h ValidationRoles and Responsibilitiesƒ Design and develop the usability testplan, including test scenarios:Designers/developers ofproduct/documentation, withfeedback/input from entire product team(usability test team)ƒ Administer the test: Anyone© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)20© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 10

Achieving Usability Through UCD&D h ValidationRoles and Responsibilities (cont.)ƒ Gather the data: Properly traineddesigners/developers ofproduct/documentationƒ Analyze the data: Usability test teamƒ Develop recommendations and writereport: Designers/developers ofproduct/documentation, withfeedback/input from usability test team© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)21Achieving Usability Through UCD&D h ValidationTiming, Techniques, & Toolsƒ Early and often -—best time to validateis with early designs, on paper,prototypes (least risk/cost)ƒ Heuristic and expert evaluationsƒ Walk throughs with the teamƒ Usability testing© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)22© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 11

Achieving Usability Through UCD&D h ValidationOutput/Deliverablesƒ Report of usability issues uncovered intestingƒ Recommendations for addressingusability issuesƒ Plan for implementing recommendationsƒ Justification/prioritization of issues andrecommendations© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)23Characteristics of Usability h Typical Usability Adoption ProcessThey’re Doing It Backward!nValidationoDesign (barely)pAnalysis (maybe)© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)24© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 12

Skills and Knowledge h The Big PictureWhere to Go From Hereƒ Cognitive psychology (how people learn andremember), human factorsƒ Usability—all phasesƒ Audience analysisƒ Multi-disciplinary design, including information,interaction, and visual componentsƒ Validationƒ User-centered design and development processesƒ Businessƒ Marketingƒ Finance© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)25Skills and Knowledge h Writing and Information-OrientedAs An Information-Oriented Person,You’ll Likely Be Most Focused On…ƒ Information architectureƒ Information designƒ Modular writingƒ Minimalismƒ Possibly interaction design,especially for your Help andother interactive information© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)26© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 13

Resources h Books and ArticlesFinding Out Moreƒ Beyer, Hugh and Karen Holtzblatt,Contextual Design: A Customer-CenteredApproachto Systems Designƒ Bias, Randolph and DeborahMayhew, Cost-JustifyingUsabilityƒ Carrol, John, The Nurnberg Funnel© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)27Resources h Books and ArticlesFinding Out More (cont.)ƒ Constantine, Larry and Lucy Lockwood,Software for Use: A Practical Guide to the Modelsand Methods of Usage-Centered Designƒ Cooper, Alan The Inmates Are Running theAsylumƒ Dumas, Joseph and Janice (Ginny) Redish, APractical Guide to Usability Testingƒ Hackos, JoAnn and Janice (Ginny) Redish, Userand Task Analysis for Interface Design© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)28© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 14

Resources h Books and ArticlesFinding Out More (cont.)ƒ Nielsen, Jakob, Usability Engineeringƒ Redish, Janice C. and Judith A. Ramey, “Specialsection: Measuring the value added byprofessional technical communicators.”Technical Communication, 42(1), 2/95ƒ Rubin, Jeffrey, Handbook of Usability Testingƒ Velotta, Chris, ed.: Practical Approaches toUsability Testing for Technical Documentation(STC)© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)29Resources h Books and ArticlesFinding Out More (cont.)ƒ IBM’s Ease of Use site: www.ibm.com/easy/ƒ uidesign.net InteractionDesign Webzine:www.uidesign.netƒ Usable Web: www.usableweb.comƒ Jakob Nielsen’s site: www.useit.comƒ Ask Tog: www.asktog.com© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)30© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 15

Resources h Books and ArticlesFinding Out More (cont.)ƒ Usability Professionals’ Association(www.upassoc.org)ƒ STC’s Usability SIG(www.stc.org/pics/usability/)ƒ ACM’s SIGCHI(www.acm.org/chi/)© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)31Contacting Andreaƒ Web: www.ucentrics.com (coming soon!)or www.verbal-imagery.comƒ E-mail: andrea@ucentrics.comƒ Phone: 650.365.7520© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery)32© 2001 Andrea L. Ames/Ucentrics (© 1995-2000 verbal imagery) 16