MOHAI Usability Study Presentation

Discovery interactive Usability stUDyElliE KlEinwort | CharliE KoCh | SuSan oldham | ian wyoSniCK

Our Team

ellie Kleinwort charlie Koch sUsan olDham ian wyosnicK

The new mOhaI

¡ museum of Science and Industry ¡ Opened December 29, 2012 ¡ South Lake union location ¡ all new exhibits ¡ all new Interactives

marK Gleasonexhibits manager

meKa manchaKcontent coordinator

Our CLIenTS

DISCOvery InTeraCTIve

MOHAI GOAls fOr InterActIve

¡ To build community ¡ To honor Seattle’s literary history ¡ To be fun, imaginative

PurPOse

¡ make a book about Seattle ¡ review what visitors learned

from other exhibits

DesIGn Of InterActIve

DISCOvery InTeraCTIve FLOw

Surprise Me

Introduction Write a Title Pick Cover Art

About the Author

Write Myself

Yes

No

Complete BookSynopsis Publish

Our uSer reSearCh

Our reSearCh QueSTIOnS

¡ are users ending the book publishing process prematurely?

¡ what are the barriers preventing users from publishing their book?

Our meThODS

ObServeD

¡ Observation—Identify problem areas ¡ Live observation of how museum visitors engage ¡ Video taping of interactive without intervention

¡ Survey users— Pilot Survey & exit Survey ¡ Opinion of visitors who used the interactive

reCruITeD meThODS

¡ Cognitive walkthrough/ Talk aloud ¡ Identify usability issues through user’s point of view

¡ Time on Task ¡ How focused users complete interactive

hOw we TeSTeD

we ObServeD ParTICIPanTS

¡ exit Survey20 participants

¡ video Observation16 hours, 62 visitors observed

we reCruITeD ParTICIPanTS

¡ Cognitive walkthrough 5 participants

¡ Time on Task3 participants

we ThOughT Our auDIenCe waS...

Adults, mostly parents, 18-55 years old

under 10

11–18

over 18

18% 21%63%

Our auDIenCe reaLLy IS....

Our FInDIngS

23%of users

DID complete interactive

hOw many PubLISh?

14 of 62 users completed

the interactive

are uSerS enDIng The bOOk PubLIShIng PrOCeSS PremaTureLy?

reSearCh QueSTIOn

77%of users did

nOT complete interactive

27%

18%

23%

16%14%

41%

32%

7%

1st screen

2nd screen

Dragging Words

Pick cover

Author name

Author Blurb

surprise Me

Publish

key issuesecondary issueengagement issue

where are The uSabILITy ISSueS?

whaT are The barrIerS PrevenTIng uSerS FrOm PubLIShIng TheIr bOOk?

reSearCh QueSTIOn

SurPrISe me! bOOk SynOPSIS SCreen

“I thought I selected every word ‘cause I liked how every word looked.”

FreQuenT errOrS

¡ unaware of missed selections

¡ unable to revise selections

¡ Lack of adequate feedback

¡ unaware of completion requirement

¡ 5 of 21 observed users stopped or restarted

¡ 7 of 8 of recruited users stated difficulty with screen“I didn’t realize that one of

the word selections was not selected.“

“...hard to pick words in the montage. It was hard to know why it wasn’t finished.”

abOuT The auThOr SCreen

FreQuenT errOrS

¡ Typing difficulty

¡ Single-touch interface errors

¡ 8 of 29 observed users stopped or restarted

¡ 4 of 8 recruited users stated difficulty with screen

“...writing the blurb about the author was long. The keyboard was awkward and I don’t like talking about myself.”

“...too much information to complete...”

“...awkward typing and hard to complete request...”

SeLeCT TITLe SCreen

“...didn’t find the word I was looking for...”

FreQuenT errOrS

¡ unaware of how to submit

¡ Tried to tap instead of dragging

¡ unaware of scroll-ability

¡ 7 of 40 observed users stopped or restarted

“...not clear about selecting words and wasn’t sure about the next step.”

Our reCOmmenDaTIOnS

MOHAI Archives

Our reCOmmenDaTIOnS

AutHOr BlurB

¡ allow skipping for shy visitors ¡ more responsive typing/touch

DrAGGInG WOrDs ¡ Clarify “tape” metaphor ¡ Select words by both tap & drag

surPrIse Me ¡ add feedback on how to proceed ¡ Increase feedback on selected words ¡ Provide default for word selections

Our generaL reCOmmenDaTIOnS

user feeDBAck ¡ add feedback on interactive progress ¡ use more responsive or multi-touch interface ¡ allow more time before “still there” prompt appears ¡ add scrolling indicators

cOntent ¡ adjust content for 10-18 year-old demographic ¡ Succinctly explain interactive instructions ¡ Decrease interactive length

envIrOnMent ¡ Investigate methods to increase exhibit engagement ¡ add exhibit signage

thanK you!ellie, charlie, sUsan & ian

QUestions?