Usability specialist in a software company Typical tasks

Usability specialist in a software company: Typical tasks. Ekaterina Sugak (MSU & Net. Cracker )

I. Indication of modes (together with V. Andreev) System has at least 4 modes that proposed different user’s activity: Registering new record l Editing record l Search data l View data l These modes are turned on by button in the toolbar but then there is no any signals what modes is turned in the window.

mode: “Registering” 1). Registration of new record: most of the fields are available for input; data is saved. To turn on this mode press button “New” before registering and remember it is done. Indication of modes

mode: “Editing” 2). Editing record: fields are filled, some of them are available for input; data is saved. To turn on this mode no buttons are pressed; save data after editing. Indication of modes

mode: “Search” 3). Search data: searchable fields are available for input search data; data is not saved. To turn on this mode press button “Search” before input criteria and remember it is done. Indication of modes

mode: “View” 4). View data: no operations at all; data is not saved. To turn on this mode no buttons are pressed. Indication of modes

Problems Indication of modes Usability problems: During working day user switches between different screens, simultaneously deals with a number of windows in different modes, operating with a lot of data. It’s very easy to lose what current mode is this – what actions are permitted or forbidden. Different windows opens in different modes (by default). Opening the window user doesn’t exactly know what current mode is this? l No evident visual difference between modes. No visual orientation - what mode is this? No sense what operations are permitted, what are forbidden, what I can do here? l

Our Task Indication of modes To prove that absence of the modes’ indication - is a huge defect of the system (from the user’s point of view). l Find out consequences of the lack of indication. l Analyze typical omissions and mistakes when user operates with different modes (in a case of highly loaded cognitive activity). We evaluated 7 users of different Departments.

Results: User Strategies Indication of modes Users (mostly experienced) find out indirect indication of the current mode as an individual way of orientation: l Some modes looks slightly different: empty fields (registration, search); filled fields (editing, view). l Remember each window: what mode it is opened exactly. l Ignoring error messages.

Results: User Mistakes Indication of modes Objective values (severe data): l 1 mistake of mis-recognition per 1 hour. l 10 sec to correct an omission Time of correction depends on the type of person and complexity of the task. Some correction takes from 2 sec to 2 minutes to amend the situation. Besides beginners – those who starts to work not so far or learn the system – waste much more time to recognize misunderstanding, correct omission and return to the start point.

Happy End l Indication of modes Evidently approve that system needs the modes’ indication. Develop some variants of indication for each mode; perform user’s evaluation; select the most appropriate variant. l l Implemented indication get a lot of positive feedback both from internal and external users.

II. Editable Grid (Net. Cracker Co. ) Grid (table) is an interface element to view list of data with number of attributes. User mostly navigates and scan the information, then – take a decision to work on with the record and drop into this record (to view further or edit data).

Problems Editable grid Usability problems: Pages of Web applications are loaded vague time. To drop into the current record user waste a lot of time to open another page (2 sec – 20 sec and more to open page). l Some user’s tasks in the system required editing of one-two typical attributes in the number of records (1 min for whole operation of editing). To edit each of these record user has to load many pages - to edit a few of attributes. l l Along with the new functionality – edit data in the grid – system keeps the original functionality to edit record on the separate page (full cycle).

Our Task Editable grid To find out an indication of editable grid and elaborate user/system interaction with this functionality. l Work up several variants of indication. l Perform a user’s evaluation (6 users) and select the most appropriate variant of indication. l Elaborate the way of interaction - when editing data in grid – in such a way to reconcile all original operations with data in grid.

Variant of Indication(1) l Level of indication: Table Data in this table is editable. Disadvantages: - No visual difference between editable and non-editable fields. - No control element to turn on the editing mode in the field. Editable grid

Variant of Indication(2) l Level of indication: Column Data in this column is editable. Disadvantages: - No control element to turn on the editing mode in the field. - When all fields are editable the table becomes fully gray. Editable grid

Variant of Indication(3) l Level on indication: Field Data in this field is editable. Advantages: - Images are enough understandable and associateable with the editing feature - Each field has a control to work on with current field. Disadvantages: - No Editable grid

Result: Selected Variant Editable grid

Result: Interaction (1) Editable grid

Result: Interaction(2) Editable grid

Happy End Editable grid l This feature is going to be implemented for Customers. l We checked the benefits of this quick-editing for our internal users: time-consuming resource is essentially decreased – less then 1 sec to open filed, 4 sec to edit data in one field. l Besides we’ve got a lot of positive feedback about new feature editable grid.

Conclusions l Day-by-day Usability specialist solves different tasks – both simple and difficult, easy and arduous. For each of this task we follow the same technology: - analyze user activity, his aims and priorities to create a proper scenario – a way of interaction with the system; - visualize this activity in the form of interface l l User’s evaluation – is an essential step of our process (even unassuming). l Final adjustment of interface after implementation (if required).