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Tips and Tricks

TIP 1: Include a usability test early in your design stage to realize usable (and affordable) software.

With several partners we developed an application for remotely viewing and analysing video material from the Dutch Audio-visual Archive (NAA). Four users used a prototype to perform some typical and critical tasks (i.e. a user walkthrough was performed). Based on their performance and comments, the user needs were specified more accurately. The walkthrough showed that selecting video fragments requires a high level of accuracy, which makes delays in the dialogue unacceptable. This finding resulted in a fundamental change in the technical setup of the program. Because it was still early in the development process, losses were minimised.

TIP 2: User interface guidelines do not guarantee usability.

There are many books and papers containing guidelines for user-interface design. Finding the appropriate set of guidelines (for instance those that are supported by fundamental research) is a complex task. If you have found an appropriate list (like those we use in our Usability Engineering approach), using it in the right way will guard you against most of the usability-mistakes. However, you should always include a usability test in your development process. Your final users are never a waste of time!

TIP 3: Test web-designs for the W3C accessibility guidelines.

There are several reasons why Web accessibility is important: 1. use of the Web is spreading rapidly into all areas of society; 2. there are barriers on the Web for many types of disabilities; 3. millions of people have disabilities that affect access to the Web; 4. Web accessibility has carry-over benefits for other users; and 5. some Web sites are required to be accessible (see for instance regulation 508 for government agencies in the U.S.).

 

Do you have a tip?

If you have a tip or trick concerning usability testing, please let us know! You can send an e-mail to webmaster@usabilitytesting.nl, perhaps your recommendation can be shared with other visitors.