Assignment 6 - Phase 1:

Create a 3-page web site

• Each page needs an image. All images must be your own creation - you can use previous assignments as your images.
• Make sure each page has a link.
• Check to make sure images and links work.
• Name the folder containing all your file for this assignment YOUURLASTNAME_Assignment6a.

  Compress (make archive on Mac OS) the folder and upload the .zip file to the Brightspace by 6 pm, Mon, Oct 31

Assignment 10: Written Assignment

Write a usability review of a web site.

You will begin by defining a task - for example, buying an airline ticket to a particular destination, in a specific time frame, at lowest cost. Or signing up for an online marketplace to sell your jewelry. Or any other similar, specific, online task. The web site you use and the task you sign up for needs to be submitted and approved by me.

The web site should be one that offers more than just content. E-commerce sites, social networking sites, etc are ideal. Fill in your topic in this form before starting; I must approve each topic. Submitting an assignment without a an approved topic will result in a mark of zero.

Sign up for a topic here.

Choose a topic by Oct 25 or you will not be able to complete this assignment.

• Make sure to review the main functions of the site from the perspective of a user.
• Think about what happens when things go wrong.
• What's good?
• What can be improved?
• Find someone to act as a test subject and observe them. Give them a specific task.
• Minimum length: 500 words.

Assignment resources

• Nielsen Norman Group on Web Usability
• http://www.usefulusability.com/how-to-conduct-a-usability-review/
• Don't make me think is a good book on usability, as are Jacob Nielson's books, like Designing Web Usability.

Usability test overview

You will will play two roles in this assignment - facilitator and participant.

You will facilitate a usability review of your the web site you chose (and was approved by me). A participant (another student) will be assigned to you. The participant will be the one who actually performs the task. The facilitator will monitor, prompt, make notes and record observations, and then use that information to write the usability report.

In a real usability study you would have many test users, but in this assignment there will only be one.

The study will be performed remotely. As a facilitator, you want to make sure that you can see the participant's screen, and ideally, their face. You can use Zoom (the free version is fine), or any other screen-sharing tool.

To prepare:

• Contact your participant. Arrange a date and time, and test out the technology you will use. Do not disclose the topic (web site) at this point.
• If you are going to record the participant's screen or face, ask for permission beforehand. Do not share any recordings, and delete all recorded data after the assignment is done.
• Write a clear (a few sentences) describing the objective of the test. This is basically what you sent me with your topic. Do not share this with the participant yet.

During the test: As a facilitator

• Make sure screen sharing is working.
• Share the URL of the web site and the objective. Make any clarifications. If the test must end at a certain point (for example, before paying for a service) make that clear.
• Encourage the participant to verbalize - say what they are thinking as they go through the site.
• Don't give the participant clues or help unless they are completely stuck.
• Remember, it's the web site that is being tested, not the participant.

During the test: As a participant

• Talk as you go. Say what you are thinking.
• Remember, it's the web site that is being tested, not you.
• If you get stuck, try to sort things out on your own. If you can't figure out what to do after trying, ask for help.

After the test

Complete this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScqVrViXW4dh2D9RSI4oquuyI2IoOmeCWfaZlit8jVdVkvKeg/viewform

Problems:

• If you cannot contact your participant, or for any other reason cannot complete the usability test on time, it is your responsibility as a facilitator to make efforts to solve the situation
• Contact me if you cannot solve it yourself

Resources

Here is a good article about the basics of remote user testing: Remote user testing basics

Complete by Mon, Nov 14, 6:00 PM.