Instructions
For this submission, group members will be each other's user for a small user study. As the user, choose the websites from the list that you are least familiar with. Each group member must have a different website.
Website Choices and Tasks
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Website
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Interview
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Tasks
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bandcamp
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How does the user normally
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Find a track called "LOL"
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discover and listen to music?
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Find out the copyright
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Under which circumstances do
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information for members who
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they choose to purchase music?
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upload tracks
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Does the user engage with the
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Upload an image onto your fan
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musicians they listen to in any
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account profile
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way?
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zazzle australia
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How do you normally acquire your clothes?
What makes you decide whether to buy a particular clothing item for yourself?
What attributes of an item of clothing are most important to you?
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Find a t-shirt with a picture of a cat and a box
Add two items featuring a cat to your shopping cart and view the cart
Find out how artists can have their products listed, including the relevant copyright
information.
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Goodreads
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How many books does the user
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Find a book that you've read
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typically read?
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Rate it and write a review
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What formats do they use for
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Find out how authors can use
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reading?
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the site
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How do they discover or choose
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new books to read?
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How do they engage with other
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people regarding books?
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Linkedin
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Has the user looked for jobs
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Find a UX designer job
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before? If so, how? If not, how
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Find a group to join
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would they look for a job?
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Find out what it costs to put
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What information does the user
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up a job ad
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want to know to decide on the
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relevance of a job?
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What support does the user want
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in applying for a job?
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Notes
The interview should be completed before the usability test. You should also ask what previous experience the user has of the website being tested. Note that the interview questions need to be reworded so that they are addressed to the user.
Three tasks have been listed for each website. You should add one additional task. To complete the tasks, users may need to create accounts. You can include the account creation in your observations and analysis, but it doesn't count as a task.
As a participant, you should practice the "think aloud" protocol, so that the facilitator/observer can note your thought processes while completing the task.
As the facilitator/observer, you may also wish to record the session, so that it is easier to collect the required data by reviewing the recording. Look for the following information:
- Where does the user look for the commands or information?
- What errors does the user make, if any, when attempting to complete the tasks?
- How long does the user take to complete the tasks, and any subtasks?
- What positive or negative emotions does the user express while completing the tasks?
- What notable comments are made by the user while thinking aloud?
What to submit
Each student is to submit a 2-4 page report containing the following:
- A brief introduction, stating the purpose of the study, including the site being tested.
- A list of the interview questions asked of the user.
- A brief description of the usability test performed (as facilitator/observer), stating the tasks, and the user's previous experience of the site. Which tasks are information seeking tasks?
- A summary of the information learnt via the interview.
- A summary of observations. You can use either Whitney and Quesenbery's 5 Es or Nielsen's Dimensions of Usability to structure your results. State which of your observations are quantitative and which are qualitative.
- A conclusion about the website's usability, and any potential recommendations.
- Discuss the limitations of the study, and recommend how to implement a better user study.
- A reflection on the assignment activity: What have you learnt from being a user in a user study? What have you learnt about usability testing and user research?
The report should have clear headings or subheadings for each of the above parts.