Who am I Mark Simpson - Researcher, De Montfort University User issues. Worked on Managed Learning...
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Transcript of Who am I Mark Simpson - Researcher, De Montfort University User issues. Worked on Managed Learning...
Who am I
Mark Simpson - Researcher, De Montfort University
User issues.
Worked on Managed Learning Environment MLE Project.
Available to all first year students from October 2003.
MLE at DMU
What am I going to cover
• Why is usability an issue
• How we went from ideas to a screen design
• How we organised content on the screen
• How we determined if we got the design right
• What did we do next
Physical problems of usability
• Applying design principles of PRINTED words and images to screens.
• Books – Gutenberg Bible 1456.
• Page numbers, Title and Contents pages evolved over the next 100 years.
• Internet 1993 ish confusion between a promotion tool and other information uses.
Why a screen isn’t paper
Sun
Absorbed & Reflected constant light
Electron Gun
Direct & Emittedflickering light
PAPER
SCREEN
So what is usability based on?
• Based on understanding of users and cognitive principles – not usual computer languages.
• Technical Designers work on designing functions – making computers work.
• Users think in terms of goals – as in football, they just want to score.
• T Designers work in terms of team selection, formation, strategy, off side and so on.
User Requirements to Screens
• User Goals.• Physical configuration of a typical users
computer.• Functions required to achieve goals.• Information sources.• Scenario of system being used from beginning
to end.• Profile of all stakeholders and their
requirements.
Prototyping approaches
Benefits / disadvantages
• Gives you time to try out names, structures in a very cheap and interactive manner
• Simple to do, do need a computer or software
• Everybody can see it and discuss it
• Easily modified
• Starting point that is expandable
Content layout
• The MLE a student site.
• We wanted student stakeholders to determine content, structure and information.
• Simple, repeatable method.
Card sort
MenusContentPriority
Benefits / disadvantages
• Gives the stakeholders the opportunity to actively help with the design.
• Based on scientific technique of Cluster Analysis
• Simple to do, don’t need a computer or software
• Easily modified
Refining / proving the design
• Once we had a system we tested every few months with users.
• Only asked a few directed questions
• Test under representative conditions – so that results are representative
Short usability tests
Results how they help
• What happens if we do this?
• Keeps the usability person in the design loop.
• You can get answers at every stage of the design.
• You have evidence to support the design decisions.
Summary what have I learned
• Usability is a system lifecycle issue
• Do it often
• As the design evolves check back to the user goals and requirements that it meeting them.