Usability

Usability and human-centered design are constantly on my mind. When I create any piece of communication, I am always thinking about who will use it (audience), how they will use it (context), and how I can help them accomplish their goal (purpose). Creating something that is usable takes into account these factors of audience, purpose, and context and situates them in light of the user's goal. The ultimate triumph of a usable product, whether it be a tea kettle or a registration form, is when it helps the user accomplish their goal, and even more so when it does nothing to get in the way of the user's goal.

 

A project that I am currently working on involves redesigning a cumbersome, yet important, application form. After many iterations, I developed an application that was ready for humans to use. To see whether this redesign was really more usable than the current application, my team conducted a brief usability test using a few different study methods. We utilized surveys, desirability card sorting, and eye tracking equipment to study the usability of the new design. Through both quantitative and qualitative methods we were able to demonstrate that the redesign is a more efficient and more desirable aid to the application process.

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The presentation below will walk you through some background information, the basics of the study design, the participant's experience, and the study results. The presentation is a timed video that will not advance by clicking as a typical slide presentation would. However, you may fast-forward, rewind, or pause it at anytime.

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