i got help previously from this forum before and forgot to say thanks to the chaps. well i need more help or advice.
My project for uni is to build a website complying to certain usability and accessability guidlines. I then need to carry out usability testing using the elderly user group.The reason why i am doing the usability test is to see if usability issues still appear and what the selected guidlines dont cover. At the end of the project i need to adapt/create a set of guidlines which covers all the problems raised
I need advice on selecting the best methods to get valauble data from the testing.
I am going to give the particapant scenarios and tasks to complete and and measure usability with use of ease and likability. Also task completion might get measured as well.
What i need advice on is i need to sleect another method of data gathering for example (surveys, post questionaires, interviews, huersitic evalaution etc
i cant work out what would be the best to achive my overall goal
It depends upon your approach it but maybe if you have access to a camcorder you could film one or two users or interview them it may help get you brownie points.
Have you considered making an “very inaccessible” test website and an “accessible” test version of the same dummy site to gage reactions. Are you using a control machine or allowing them to use their own personal set-ups?
i was going to use video recording to record tests and use think aloud when doing the tests. i will be using a university lab in a controlled enviroment giving them tasks to complete
Don’t just rely on camcorder testing, you need to ask them what they found difficult and ask them for some negative critique. What you need to-do is drill down to the hard facts about what was bad in the design and needs work. Positive feedback in usability testing is pretty useless to your goals. Either interview them after or give them a short questionnaire (along with the screen and face recording) to ensure you can get an idea of how people dealt with the areas they struggled on.
cheers for advice. this is one of the best forums. people take there time to help strangers. Maybe one day if i become an expert maybe i will give back to the community.
is there any other methods that anyone can think of using which would produce valuable data to find usability issues ?
The recent book by Steve Krug Rocket Surgery Made Easy is about usability testing, how to do it, what to ask. You may not be looking for a book to buy but it’s quite small and is basically a how-to. If you’re interested, you may find it in a local bookstore and you can flip through it to see if it has any ideas for you.
