The interface to complex systems and technologies is to be found everywhere around us, be it web-pages, software applications, mobile phones or cars. Its good usability is therefore key - e.g. how will it help us in our work, what will it allow us to do, how efficiently and securely. This is nowadays pursued also by the ISO norm 20282: “Ease of operation of everyday products”. For improving usability at the various stages of design there is a wide choice of tools, from theoretical analysis to experimental user-testing.
Methods
Analytic usability evaluation consists of:
- theoretical reflection of goals and cognitive load of users
- theoretical analysis of meaning of individual interaction elements
- expert evaluation of inteface walkthrough
- heuristic usability analysis based on guidelines
On the contrary, usability testing relies on:
- user action and behaviour assessment
- interviews and questionnaire evaluation
- experimental variant comparison
Benefits
A practical benefit of expert analysis is a set of recommendations for improving the user experience and fulfillment of expectations we put in the interface.
Compared to usability testing, usability analysis is faster and cheaper. Its strong point lies in checking general computer iteraction guidelines and internal consistency of the analysed interface.
More information
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