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A guide to usability testing and simple pointers to make things work better!
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8 Critical Usability Tips: Quick low cost ways to get impressive results
John Whalen, PhDDirector, User Experience and Design, e.magination
Usability Reviews and Usability Testing
Top 8 Critical Usability Tips
Navigation
Content
Interaction
Persuasive Design
Top 8 Critical Usability Tips
Navigation
Content
Interaction
Persuasive Design
Tip 1: Navigation – KISS – Harder than you think…
Tip 1: Navigation – KISS – Harder than you think…
Trying to describe 10 steps…
…but page has 42 links
…29 related to task at hand
…13 leaving page.
Where do I start??
Notice the numbering:4,5,6,7,8…4,5,6,7,8…4???
Take a step back, think like the user
Make an obvious first step
Distinguish primary and secondary navigation
Provide a table of contents
Informal Test – Where should you click first?
30%Correct
30%Correct
e.magdesign
100%Correct
e.magdesign
100%Correct
Tip 2: Navigation – Less is More
Tip 2: Navigation – Less is More
2 sets of tabs…
Clickable buttons for navigation…
Clickable buttons for actions…
Clickable objects for navigation…
Large distance between question and “Next” button
Large distance between help and question
Tip 2: Navigation – Less is More
NextNextPreviousPrevious
NextNextPreviousPrevious
Informal Test – Which would you prefer?
8%8%
e.magdesign
92%
e.magdesign
92%
Top 8 Critical Usability Tips
Navigation
Content
Interaction
Persuasive Design
Top 8 Critical Usability Tips
Navigation
Content
Interaction
Persuasive Design
Tip 3: Content – Provide visual clues that direct eyes.
A B
0 Seconds
A B
5 Seconds
A B
15 Seconds
After 15 seconds, users “below the fold”
Tip 4: Content – Create scan-able content
✓
Users scan content in an “F” pattern
They skip irrelevant content
Top 8 Critical Usability Tips
Navigation
Content
Interaction
Persuasive Design
Top 8 Critical Usability Tips
Navigation
Content
Interaction
Persuasive Design
Tip 5: Interaction – Make the next step “duh” obvious
Informal Test – Where should you click next?
6%Correct
6%Correct
Amazon
91%Correct
Amazon
91%Correct
What makes it obvious?
• Distinct color• Size• Affordance (click-ability)• Next in user eye-flow• Absence of any other
items with that style• Consistency in
positioning
Tip 6: Interaction – Search + Refine
Do you prefer Search + Refine?
No 15%No 15%
Yes85%Yes85%
Top 8 Critical Usability Tips
Navigation
Content
Interaction
Persuasive Design
What makes it obvious?
• Distinct color• Size• Affordance (click-ability)• Next in user eye-flow• Absence of any other
items with that style• Consistency in
positioning
Top 8 Critical Usability Tips
Navigation
Content
Interaction
Persuasive Design
Tip 7: Persuasion – Invoke reciprocity, social validation, and similarity
Reciprocity: • Give things away.• Create an environment
where you contribute, then ask for something in return.
Tip 7: Persuasion – Invoke reciprocity, social validation, and similarity
Social Validation: • You’re making the
right choice.• Lots of other people
choose this too.
Tip 7: Persuasion – Invoke reciprocity, social validation, and similarity
Similarity: • People just like you choose us.
Tip 8: Persuasion – Find the right social networks and provide thought leadership
Source: Forrester.com
Tip 8: Persuasion – Find the right social networks and provide thought leadership
Develop a B.E.S.T. formula
• Behavioral: Everything you communicate is designed to change customer behavior
• Essential: Your communications really help your customers succeed in their jobs
• Strategic: Your content becomes a integral part of your business strategy
• Targeted: Target your content so that it is truly relevant to your clients.
8 Critical Usability Tips
Navigation1. K.I.S.S. – Make the first step obvious2. Less is More – Remove unnecessary navigationContent3. Provide visual clues that direct eyes to next step4. Create scan-able contentInteraction5. Make the next step “duh” obvious6. Search + RefinePersuasion7. Invoke reciprocity, social validation, and similarity8. Find the right social networks and provide thought leadership
Your Summer Reading List…
THANK YOU!
John Whalen, PhD
Director, User Experience
Twitter: @johnwhalen
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwhalen
…or talk to us!
