What is User Analysis and Usability Testing?

What is User Analysis and Usability Testing?

In the information gathering, it is important to gather information from the internal and external environment of the organization who are impact of the system (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). This is called the user requirement analysis (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). The user requirement analysis will provide an idea of the processes that are currently taking place through investigation, examination of the elements, discussion, interpretation. The structure of the website, inspection, survey, and tested (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). According to Maguire, N. and Beyan, N (2002), this helps ensure that the needs of all those involved are taken into account, and stakeholder analysis identifies, for each user and stakeholder group, their main roles, responsibilities and task goals in relation to the system; in addition, here a questionnaire is completed to capture the characteristics of the users, their tasks and operating environment as in table 1.

The purpose of the user interviews relates to a commonly used technique where users, stakeholders and domain experts are questioning to gain information about their needs or requirements in relation to the new system (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). According to Maguire, N., and Beyan, N (2002), seeing the environment also gives a vivid mental picture of how users are working with the existing system and how the new system can support them (Mander and Smith, 2002).

It was recommended that requirements workshop is given for a reason to help users and designers break out from a current situation and thinking (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). In addition, it gives an opportunity to ask questions about both the old and the new system and how the new system meets their needs (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). Moreover, it gives an opportunity to learn what the stakeholders are expecting from the new system (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). According to Maguire, N. and Beyan, N (2002), workshops bring all stakeholders together to agree on goal and objectives related to the new system, and they then seek to establish a process by which it can be achieved, but, another variation is to define new technological developments, discuss when they might be attained and what implications this might have for the user organization

Asking questions to the stakeholders, it helps to make decisions and determine the needs of users (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). Creating a user survey, it is normally composed of a mix of closed questions with fixed responses and open' questions, where the respondents are free to answer as they wish (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). According to this method is useful for obtaining quantitative as well as some qualitative data from a large number of users about the problems of existing tasks or the current system.

They were recommended because they give detailed realistic examples of how users may carry out their tasks in a specified context with the new system (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). In addition, it is important to understand and clarify the user requirement so later usability testing applies (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). Furthermore, giving the ability to identify usability targets and task completion times, this is expected using the scenarios and use cases (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). According to Maguire, N. and Beyan, N (2002), the method also promotes developer buy-in and encourages a human-centered design approach, and scenarios of use are sometimes called use cases, although the term is also used by software engineers to refer to the use of functions.  In addition, it was recommended to use personas, which a caricature is created with a name, personality and picture, to represent each of the most important user groups (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). Therefore, evaluation can be applied against the needs of a particular persona and the tasks they are expected to perform (Maguire, N. and Beyan, N, 2002). According to Maguire, N. and Beyan, N (2002), personas are used by innovative design groups to stimulate creativity rather than refine a design solution (Cooper 1999).

However, each technique has drawbacks, for example, according to Kujala, S. (2003), the disadvantages of Usability Analysis tend to be qualitative in nature and therefore the relative significance of the costs and benefits is impossible to estimate (Wilson et al., 1996, 1997). In addition, it was learned that there was a lack of communications in the workshop (Kujala, S., 2003). Moreover, other disadvantages relate to identifying appropriate users was difficult, obtaining access to users and motivating the users,  and users lack information to what the designer needs to know (Kujala, S., 2003). Also, other disadvantages needed to be known is that users lack information about what the design process meant, users was introduced to new concepts and they were not able to give feedback, and to many user groups (Kujala, S., 2003). Cons also recognize when educating users about the design, users were unaware of implementation constraints, and contacting users and arranging meetings, and users had lacked confidence or motivation and were reluctant to talk to the designers, and others not able to understand the task model used (Kujala, S., 2003).

First, information gathering would benefit the design of the spa’s new site because the information collected from the internal and external users of the organization will provide some information where the testing is needed to help meet the needs of all users of the organization. In addition, it will help users to understand that their information is valued and it is used to meet their user experience with the system.

Secondly, user interviews are always a high recommendation because it gives a one on one interview with a user and help to understand their user experience and get to learn the user, personally. In addition, interviews can help the users to think outside the box, and feel comfortable talking about their user experience, give them privacy about their user experience, and give them a special feeling of importance. and give them to ask questions about the system.

Thirdly, the requirements workshops relate to providing a reason that they are needed to meet the requirements of the users and stakeholders. In this paper, it had discussed the Usability Analysis and Usability testing.  Each usability is extremely important. First, the usability analysis is a discussion and activity workshop. It was recommended that a workshop should include four different types of learning activities (Kolb, D. A., 1984). The four types of activities are a reflection, assimilation and conception, experimentation and practicing activities and planning for application activities (Kolb, D. A., 1984). In reflection, it is recommended that the users focus on the reason for disapproving the website (Kolb, D. A., 1984). It was suggested that they reflect on their own behavior in a way that prepares them for new learning and change (Kolb, D. A., 1984). According to Kolb, D. A. (1984) it is important to identify the experience they had with the old website, to invoke and to do so in an engaging way that can be linked to the workshop topic, and have participants break into pairs and briefly answer questions about their experience related to the topic. Secondly, it was recommended that assimilating and conceptualizing activities are used in the workshop with new information because it provides outside information in the form of theories, data and facts, or can inform users about their experience with the old website and the new website so they can transform to using the new site and comparing the differences between the sites (Kolb, D. A., 1984). Thirdly, the use of experimenting and practicing activities encourage users the new information to meet their objectives by providing an opportunity for users to practice and involve themselves in new behaviors and skills. According to Kolb, D. A. (1984), planning for website activities provides a stimulus for implementing and utilizing new learning outside the workshop, which prepare users for using the new website, and it is important to identify ways to have users look toward the future and identify specific ways to put new learning into practice, and one way to do this is to have each user complete an action plan at the conclusion of a workshop.

Next, the reason for user surveys relate to questions that are needed to correct the system and understand the likes and dislikes of the system.  In addition, it was explained that surveys have a great impact on profits, and it can create a competitive advantage (n.d., The Important of Customers Surveys). Over the years, they were known to have given customers a chance to voice their customers and give their opinion about the benefit of the product or service (n.d., The Important of Customers Surveys). It is also a great way to open communication with a consumer and predicting consumer behavior and feelings (n.d., The Important of Customers Surveys). However, they have their advantages and disadvantages related to the advantages of surveys had explained that the capability of representing a large population, which allow a better description of the relative characteristics of the users, and it has a low cost (n.d., Advantages and Disadvantages of Surveys). On the other hand, changing the original survey is inappropriate because it can be viewed as a weakness of the survey method (n.d., Advantages and Disadvantages of Surveys). Yet, not answering questions related to question that bear controversy because not able to recall information related to them (n.d., Advantages and Disadvantages of Surveys). Furthermore, it was explained that all general questions may not be appropriate for all the users (n.d., Advantages and Disadvantages of Surveys). In a case that questions are not appropriate for all users; it is recommended to use the questions collected from the users and include questions needed to design the site. This will allow the survey to fair for both the users and designer, meeting their needs to design and achieve a friendly user experience.

Next, it is important for each technique. Each Technique is needed to contain all the information from the different internal and external users to help redesign the website for accuracy and the website is configured to fit it for a designated task, and test the website so that the website meet their needs. The techniques will provide all the information needed to help them achieve validating schedules, able to schedule without remembering the code from the service page, increase customers, and keep existing customers, and usability testing. Appropriately, staff is scheduled to meet the needs of the customers. Therefore, each technique share knowledge and experience of the old technical issues of change and creating innovation for the new technical development for the website, which later the innovation and ideas from each technique will collaborate with testing the website to measure adaptability, acceptance, quality, agile and satisfaction of the customers. On the other hand, usability test is based on how easy the website is to use. In this case of misconfigured website, usability has been defined as the ease at which an average person can use the website to achieve specific goals (Churm, T., 2012). After testing the website, customers will learn the meaning of the use of usability, which is comprised of learnability, memorability, efficiency, satisfaction and errors (Churm, T., 2012). In addition, the customer will learn how easy it will be to use the website and accomplish their tasks and they will feel the memorability of the website based on how easy the website is to use and come back to use the website (Churm, T., 2012). Each technique helps learn how quickly users can complete a task by testing the website (Churm, T., 2012). Moreover, each technique share an innovation to align with the need of testing, which meet the needs of satisfying customers and the understanding the severity of the errors and how easy they are to recover from (Churm, T., 2012).

The usability testing is held to deserve, the importance of its use and usefulness of the website. When users benefit from using the website, it demonstrates the merit of the website to measure it to the quality of being good and worthy of returning to visit the site again. In addition, users that find a website that align with outstanding merit, they are guaranteed to return to the site and tell others about the merit of the website, encouraging enough to merit further investigation of the site. This is called the word of mouth marketing that allow users to experience the worthiness of the website and tell others about the site. Others can encourage other users to A good website also increase customers and keep existing customers, having a high opinion of the website. Users; in addition, they gain confidence and trust in the site, supporting its great value. Moreover, a good website can build relationship between the website owner and the users. Therefore, it is recommended that building a website with values, ethics and standards.  According to Usability Matters (2015), the importance of usability testing is to target audience, and observing how the audience uses and feels about the site is critical in creating a successful experience. When users have a good experience with a website, they will continue to use and enjoy the site (Usability Matters, 2015). According to Usability Matter (2015) users often have biased opinions.

However, it was explained that usability testing often experience user testing cannot find certain minor problems (Allen, J., Drewski, E., Engelhardt, A., and Kim, J., 2007). In addition, later in the development process, it was found that testing, usability known to perform (Allen, J., Drewski, E., Engelhardt, A., and Kim, J., 2007). Moreover, it is not unusual that users had experience difficult to process, during usability testing, and it was hard to find others that will test the system (Allen, J., Drewski, E., Engelhardt, A., and Kim, J., 2007). Often testing is expensive relate to the time that it takes to test the system, and finding users to test the system (Allen, J., Drewski, E., Engelhardt, A., and Kim, J., 2007). It is also known the type of prototype used can affect the many errors in the system (Allen, J., Drewski, E., Engelhardt, A., and Kim, J., 2007).

It is recommended to have users to test the navigation, Scheduling process, and retrieval process because it allows the process of accurately ascertaining the user’s position and planning and following a route as follows:

·         Service Page: Clicking the service page to land on the correct page for scheduling services. This would allow users to know that the navigation for the service page is working properly

·         Schedule services: Scheduling an appointment with the correct staff to meet the need of the customers without remembering the code, but redirecting the page to the appropriate session of the site

·         Validate Schedule: Testing the system for validated schedule so to prevent nonexistent or wrong services and preventing scheduling the wrong staff personnel. This would include another paper land related to the scheduled was validated on a time and date and the name of the staff who had been scheduled.

·         Appointment Schedule Testing: testing the system to ensure that appointment schedule is accurate to meet the need of the users. This would include landing on another page related to the appointment was scheduled, giving the appointment date and time

· The type of usability testing that you would use after designing the website prototype and your justification for using that type

Philosophical Usability Testing is recommended because it allows users to practice and remember a belief about the site, and provide logic. Logic gives the users an understanding of the reasoning conduct of principles of validation, and providing a system of principles, underlying the arrangements of elements in the site as to perform a specified task. It also gives the users, the nature of knowledge, ethics, reality and existence of the site, which provide a theoretical basis of sight and the knowledge and experience gained from the re-designed site. According to (n.d.) Why Study Philosophy, it was explained that philosophy uses the tools of logic and reason to analyze the ways in which humans experience the world, and it teaches critical thinking, close reading, clear writing, and logical analysis; it uses these to understand the language we use to describe the world, and our place within it.  However, it was recommended to use the task realistic method because it provides the best task to direct users in the appropriated matter (2014, Turn User Goals into Task Scenarios for Usability). Realistic task makes it easier for the user to know what to select and how to use the system in a way that make the system easier to use (2014, Turn User Goals into Task Scenarios for Usability). In addition, Realistic task asks question direct, providing a communication language that the user can understand and follow. According to (2014), Turn User Goals into Task Scenarios for Usability, it was recommended to allow the users to define their own tasks, for example, you could recruit users who are in the process of buying a car and let them continue their research during the session, instead of giving them a task scenario, which field studies are ideal for observing users in their own environment as they perform their own tasks, but field studies are more expensive and time consuming.

References

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