Archives: JUS

Abstract This paper argues that in the field of usability, debates about number of users, the use of statistics, etc. in the abstract are pointless and even counter-productive. We propose that the answers depend on the research questions and business objectives of each project and thus cannot be discussed in absolute terms. Sometimes usability testing is done with an implicit or explicit hypothesis in mind. At other times the purpose of testing is to guide iterative design. These two approaches call for different study designs and treatment of data. We apply control systems theory to the topic of usability to highlight and frame the value of iterative usability testing in the design lifecycle. Within this new metaphor, iterative testing is …

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Abstract Usability testing a mobile application in the laboratory seems to be sufficient when studying user interface and navigation issues. The usability of a consumer application was tested in two environments: in a laboratory and in a field with a total of 40 test users. The same problems were found in both environments, differences occurred in the frequency of findings between the contexts. Results indicate that conducting a time-consuming field test may not be worthwhile when searching user interface flaws to improve user interaction. In spite of this, it is possible that field testing is worthwhile when combining usability tests with a field pilot or contextual study where user behavior is investigated in a natural context. Practitioner’s Take Away When …

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Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Journal of Usability Studies. This journal was born in response to a growing need in the community of usability practitioners and researchers. Have you ever you looked for the most recent findings of usability studies that you can learn from or wondered where to publish interesting results from your own usability studies? Until now, there was no available forum for usability practitioners and applied researchers to share and disseminate many of their findings and experiences that are of general interest to this community. To meet this need and to fill the gap between academic research and business case studies, the Journal of Usability Studies was born. This publication will be a peer-reviewed, on-line …

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We are delighted to publish an editorial by Tharon Howard (and many others) on “The UTEST Community: Celebrating 20 Years of a Safe Place for UX Discussions.” In this editorial the authors provide a fascinating history of the UTEST online community, the secrets to its success, and what the UTEST members think about their community. As part of this editorial the authors describe a model for their success called “RIBS,” which stands for “Remuneration,” “Influence,” “Belonging,” and “Significance.” This model not only provided a foundation for the success of UTEST, but also can be used to establish other online communities. The first article is by Philip Kortum and Claudia Ziegler Acemyan titled “How Low Can You Go? Is the System …

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UTEST, the online community of user experience (UX) practitioners and researchers, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. If you are a member, you know it as a place where you can ask questions, get help and opinions from your UX colleagues, contribute to discussions, find out about potential jobs and interesting non-profit events, and even try out unpolished, inchoate ideas knowing that discussions will be professional and respectful. If you aren’t a member, consider joining us by writing to tharon@clemson.edu and asking for an application. (Note that we usually spell the community’s name, UTEST, all capitals, no hyphen. Since the birth of the UTEST community, a number of commercial companies have given themselves similar-sounding names. This may be a tribute …

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