feed - UXPA International

RITE+Krug: A Combination of Usability Test Methods for Agile Design

Abstract As user experience professionals, we often face objections that there is not enough time or resources to conduct usability testing during development. With the proliferation of Agile methods being used by development teams to compress the software lifecycle, the focus on time becomes even more critical. To meet the challenges of Agile development, we combined aspects of two discount usability methods: the Rapid Iterative Test and Evaluation method (RITE) and the approach to usability testing taken by Steve Krug. In this paper, we describe why we combined the methods and which elements we incorporated from each. The impact of using this new RITE+Krug combination has been remarkable. Test sessions are getting between 12 and 15 observers on a regular …

Introduction

With this issue we begin a series of editorials and peer-reviewed articles on how user experience methods fit into an Agile development process. We are pleased to have an editorial by Diana DeMarco Brown, author of the 2012 book, Agile User Experience Design: A Practitioner’s Guide to Making It Work. She describes five myths about integrating user experience into product development in Agile environments. Among other recommendations, she urges practitioners to take advantage of the interactive communication that Agile provides to build trust within the development team and to fit in more customer feedback than with traditional methods. We also have a peer-reviewed article on a hybrid approach to usability testing in Agile design and development environments. Jen McGinn and …

Do Usability Expert Evaluation and Testing Provide Novel and Useful Data for Game Development?

Abstract A case study was done to study whether usability expert evaluation and testing are suitable for game development. In the study, a computer game under development was first evaluated and then tested. Game developers were then asked to rate the findings and give other feedback about the methods used and the results gained. It was found that the usability expert evaluation and testing provided both novel and useful data for game development. Based on these and the other results it is argued that the usability expert evaluation and testing have considerable face validity in game development. In addition to the usefulness and face validity of the methods it was studied whether the usability experts participating in the game usability …

Figure 1. Hegelian Principle (the Delphi method)

Abstract Open card sorting is used by information architects to gather insights from users to incorporate feedback into an information architecture. In theory, it is one of the more inexpensive, user-centered design methods available to practitioners, but hidden costs make it less likely to be conducted properly and affect the quality of results produced. The following proposes a new card sorting method called the Modified-Delphi card sort to replace the Open card sort. The Modified-Delphi card sort is based on a well-known forecasting technique called the Delphi method. Instead of producing individual models that are then analyzed as a whole, participants work with a single model that is proposed and modified throughout the study. The Modified-Delphi card sorting method produces …

Abstract Health care costs represent a significant percentage of a country’s GDP. Implementing electronic medical records (EMR) systems are a popular solution to reducing costs, with the side benefit of providing better care. Unfortunately, 30% of EMR system implementations fail, often because physicians cannot use the EMRs efficiently. User experience problems, based on our experience at several clinics, are wide-spread among EMRs. These include loss of productivity and steep learning curves. To help usability professionals contribute to the creation of more usable EMRs, we share our insights and experiences. Essential to understanding EMRs is the physician’s task flow, which we explain in detail. It is also helpful to understand the different work styles of physicians, variations in the pace of …

Abstract While usability evaluation and usability testing has become an important tool in artifact assessment, little is known about what happens to usability data as it moves from usability session to usability report. In this ethnographic case study, I investigate the variations in the language used by usability participants in user-based usability testing sessions as compared to the language used by novice usability testers in their oral reports of that usability testing session. In these comparative discourse analyses, I assess the consistency and continuity of the usability testing data within the purview of the individual testers conducting “do-it-yourself” usability testing. This case study of a limited population suggests that findings in oral usability reports may or may not be substantiated …

RITE+Krug: A Combination of Usability Test Methods for Agile Design

Introduction

Do Usability Expert Evaluation and Testing Provide Novel and Useful Data for Game Development?

A Modified Delphi Approach to a New Card Sorting Methodology

Usability of Electronic Medical Records

Discourse Variations Between Usability Tests and Usability Reports