ux-research 1 research methods overview - hs augsburgjohn/ims-ux/material/2017/ux-researc… · ux...

UX Research research methods

overview

KP Ludwig John

UX Researchresearch methods overview


overview

KP Ludwig John

Usability assesses how easy user interfaces are to use

Usability refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process

Usability testingUsability (Benutzbarkeit) - what does it mean?

Reference: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-101-introduction-to-usability/


overview

KP Ludwig John

Usability testing


Usability - Criteria• Learnability (Erlernbarkeit):

How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?

• Efficiency (Effizienz): Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?

• Memorability (Einprägsamkeit): When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency (Kompetenz)?

• Errors (Fehler): How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors?

• Satisfaction (Zufriedenheit): How pleasant is it to use the design?

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/slips/


overview

KP Ludwig John

Usability testing

• Utility (Zweckmäßigkeit): refers to the design's functionality: Does it do what users need?

Compare

Usability and utility are equally important! Determine together whether something is useful

It matters little that something is easy if it's not what you want



overview

KP Ludwig John

Usability testingDefinitions


Utility (zweckmäßig) : Whether it provides the features you need.

Usability (benutzbar) : How easy & pleasant these features are to use.

Useful (nützlich) = usability + utility


overview

KP Ludwig John

Usability testingHow to improve?


There are many methods for studying usability. The most basic and useful is user testing

Components

• Get hold of some representative users

• Ask the users to perform representative tasks with the design.

• Observe what the users do, where they succeed, and where they have difficulties with the user interface.


overview

KP Ludwig John

What Test methods do you know??Usability testing

Discuss and collect2 minutes


overview

KP Ludwig John

Two general approaches

Usability testing

Qualitative Quantitative•describes the qualities or characteristics of something

•provide details about human behavior, emotion, and personality characteristics

•helps to understand why people do the things they do

•any research that can be measured

•provide data that can be expressed in numbers

•answers questions like “How many people clicked here”

Reference: http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2012/09/strengths-and-weaknesses-of-quantitative-and-qualitative-research.php

Which to use?

http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2012/09/strengths-and-weaknesses-of-quantitative-and-qualitative-research.php


overview

KP Ludwig John

Usability testing

Qualitative QuantitativeWhich to use?

Depends on:• Test Goal / Research Question• Project development stage

Examples


overview

KP Ludwig John

Usability testing

• Test Goal / Research Question

• Project development stage

Examples

Beginning of the project General concept and structure

What functions are necessary / which to leave out? Is the naming of the functions understandable to my users? Is the structure of the application understandable to my users?

• What to test?

Surveys Paper based Prototype, Sketches


overview

KP Ludwig John

Paper based PrototypeInstallation „Salz“ IAM6 - 2015

Interactive Mirror

Research Topics: Dimension, Observer Distance, Observer Position

Haptic Interface

Research Topics: Do Users understand how to interact / what to do?


overview

KP Ludwig JohnTest situationChristian Kandler; 2008

e-Newspaper, paper based test


overview

KP Ludwig JohnChristian Kandler; 2008 e-Newspaper, paper based test


overview

KP Ludwig John

Usability testing



Examples

Individual functions Parts of the application

Evaluate function implementations Compare versions Evaluate Interface Solutions

• What to test?

Interactive Prototypes,software based (prototyping tools)


overview

KP Ludwig John

Software based Prototype City Game IAM6 - 2015

Research Topics:Game structure (over all goal, individual tasks)User Interface


overview

KP Ludwig John

Usability testing



Examples

Pre-Release / Final product

Find hidden errors User Experience

• What to test?

Completed Product with real users in real user environment


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KP Ludwig John

Pre Release Version AR App for Paul Klee exhibition IMS - 2013

Research Topics:Interplay of App and Exhibition Error detection


overview

KP Ludwig John

Usabilityresearch methods


overview

KP Ludwig John

Research methodsTwo general approaches

Questioning

to askthe user usually about Habits, Motivations, Interests,Needs, Preferences

Observing

to observe the user while interacting with an application or prototype

Examples


overview

KP Ludwig John

• Collects qualitative data about user behaviors, activities, and experiences over time

• participants keep a diary and log specific information

• paper or digital

Research methodsDiary studies

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/diary-studies/

What you get

• Better Understanding of user habits, attitudes, motivations and goals in real context

• Sometimes used to collect User comments / problem descriptions while interacting „in the field“

Disadvantage

• participants might have to be reminded to record data

Questioning


overview

KP Ludwig John

• a guided conversation with a single user

Interview

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/interviewing-users/

What you get• users attitudes or how they think about a problem• users general impressions of a site after using it

Disadvantage

• People can make up an opinion about anything, and they'll do so if asked

• Don’t ask about specific features (Is it better to use a drop-down menu or a set of radio buttons for a certain set of choices?)

• To learn about features: build prototypes and to observe

Research methods Questioning


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KP Ludwig John

Screen recording

• Records Screen display, Audio and Interaction (mouse clicks) into a video file

• Can be combined with facial video of the user while interacting from webcam

• Remote or local

Software

Research methods Observation


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KP Ludwig John

Camtasia Studio

• easy to handle, many editing functions

>> installed at UX-Lab or get 30 days test version at: http://www.chip.de/downloads/

Screen recordingResearch methods Observation

http://www.chip.de/downloads/Camtasia-Studio_13005403.html


overview

KP Ludwig John

http://www.chip.de/downloads/

https://az-screen-recorder.en.softonic.com/android

Screen recordingResearch methods Observation

smart phone




overview

KP Ludwig John

Advantage: • easy to handle

• Users Thoughts while interacting become transparent

Disadvantage: • unnatural situation

• hard for test participants to keep up the required monologue

Thinking aloud - Lautes Denken

Most common Usability test method

Test participants verbalize their thoughts (thinking out loud) as they move through the user interface.

Often complemented by video recording (or at least observer notes)

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/thinking-aloud-the-1-usability-tool/



overview

KP Ludwig John

Advantages: • Participants can help identifying problems

• improvement of design can be immediately discussed

Disadvantage: • Result depends strongly on test persons personality

• Video recording might provoke change in behavior

Two Stages: 1. Participant works on test tasks while being video recorded.

2. Discussion with the participant - Helps to better understand and identify problems - common search for possible solutions

Video observationRecords User behavior during test situation



overview

KP Ludwig John

Video observation Installation Lumenaer IA6 - 2013

Retrospective Thinking aloudTest persons comment on video recording of own test


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KP Ludwig John

Video observation - 2 channels Techniker App - paper based test IA6 - 2014

Thinking aloud, paper based, video recording


overview

KP Ludwig John

Eye Tracking

Research methods

Following the trail of where a person is looking

Implies the recording of eye position (point of gaze) and movement on a 2D screen or in 3D environments based on the optical tracking of corneal (Hornhaut) reflections to assess visual attention.

What you get

• Where the user is looking at (and where not at all) • Which visual elements attract attention, which are overlooked • time spans (Attention spans, search times)

Disadvantage• complicate to set up • time intense interpretation of collected date

Observation

KP Ludwig JohnKonzeptionEyeTracking System Tobii X60

Equipment

KP Ludwig JohnKonzeptionMobiles EyeTracking System Tobii Glasses

Equipment


overview

KP Ludwig John

UsabilityTesting


overview

KP Ludwig John

Usability testing Before you start

Answer the following

What do you want to learn (by testing)? What are your questions regarding the test? Which parts of your application has to be covered by the test?

What kind of Prototype do you need to represent that functionality? How can you build it?

Decide about test method and equipment and test environment


overview

KP Ludwig John

Practice

Come together in groups

Discuss and collect use Post-Its

10 minutes

Answer the following

What do you want to learn (by testing)? What are your questions regarding the test? Which parts of your application has to be covered by the test?


overview

KP Ludwig John

Practice

Discuss and collect use Post-Its

15 minutes

Next

• Determine success criteria of your project • Which criteria are important / decisive

• How to measure it • Which measuring units


overview

KP Ludwig Johnwww.hs-augsburg.de/~john

Schedule23. October 14:00 Half CourseEyetracking Demo UX-Lab (Hr. Plail)

14:45 ALL (!!) Lecture „test scenario“ W 3.01

16:00 Half CourseEyetracking Demo UX-Lab (Hr. Plail)

Task till next weekForm definite groups,to work together throughout entire Phase 1 of this semester

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