#19044
Usable Interactive Voice Response Applications
An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) application is any telephone-based application which interactively takes input from callers and returns output in the form of a previously recorded human voice or other auditory information (Noonan). Cost and efficiency considerations means that IVR applications are fast becoming a common supplement, or indeed alternative, to direct contact with customer service representatives. The principles of User-Centred Design can be applied to make a more efficient and intuitive IVR applications. A solely auditory interface means that the user can hear only one thing at a time. The interface is sequential. With visual interfaces, like computer screens, it is possible to emphasise content through fonts or colour. The user can review any part of the screen at a glance. Therefore, the manner and order in which information is rendered on an IVR application is very important. The following are some guidelines for the design of an intuitive IVR application.
Gaine, Frank. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Articles>User Interface>Accessibility>Voice
#19312
Is your organisation in need of a user champion? It might not be the perfect solution, but as a first step it can have far-reaching consequences. If your organisation already has significant resources assisting with interface development, but tends to make key decisions on the basis of hunches or personal opinions, a single individual with a remit to judge the interface from the users point of view may be beneficial. Of course, any appointment must be more than a gesture. A user champion must be confident of management support and fully involved in the development and design process, at every stage.
Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Careers>Web Design>Usability
#19307
User Experience and E-Commerce
Slowly but surely the importance of 'user experience' to any e-commerce initiative is being understood. It is becoming apparent that simply ensuring that the goods are in the shop and the customers can find the door is not enough in the ultra-competitive online environment. 'User experience' is the difference between one-time visitors and satisfied repeat customers. It is also the area in which e-businesses can learn most from their offline equivalents. 'User experience' certainly includes elements of usability, but it goes beyond this to encompass the entire customer interaction process. But focusing on the online experience, there are certain key recommendations for organisations seeking to improve user experience.
#19300
User Testing vs. Expert Evaluation
It is something of a given in the usability industry that testing with real users is the most effective way of identifying interface issues that may cause usability problems. Whilst it is true that testing is the best way to get real feedback on user experience with a site or application, there is an argument that evaluation by an expert is an equally efficient way to identify these problems. For some reason, the process of expert evaluation in usability circles has acquired the name 'heuristic evaluation', a term that is largely inaccurate in this context and certainly confusing for those unfamiliar with the jargon. However, that is a different story. Here we are more concerned with the pros and cons of expert evaluation as compared with user testing.
Gaine, Frank. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Articles>Usability>Methods
#19310
The following is an attempt to outline a charter of rights for the user of web applications. They are, of course, unenforceable but compliance with them would represent best practice in the design of user-centred interfaces. More significantly, any violation of the charter would indicate the presence of significant usability problems detrimental to the user experience. And failing to address the requirements of the user leads to frustration, irritation and consequently lost business.
Gaine, Frank. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Articles>Web Design>Privacy
#27477
Users with special needs who are not sufficiently visually impaired to require assistive technologies can still be frustrated by poor contrast, problematic colour schemes, or tiny, unreadable text. Up to 10% of men are colour blind to some extent, and the increasing number of older users are less likely to have 20/20 vision than those designing the pages.
#19331
WAP technology, which brings text-based online services to the mobile phone, is already causing considerable excitement in European markets. With the focus on 'the mobile Internet' and 'm-commerce', WAP is already being touted as central to the future of 'online' business. Perhaps as a reaction to the hype, some commentators (among them usability 'guru' Jakob Nielsen) are already lining up to burst the WAP bubble.
Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2000). Design>Web Design>Wireless Web>Usability
#19038
8% of the U.S. population has visual, learning, cognitive, auditory or physical dexterity disabilities severe enough to affect their ability to access the Web. These people use the web for the same reasons as everyone else - email, news, sports results, research, work. Recently introduced legislation and some high-profile legal cases are increasing the profile of website accessibility. E-commerce organisations and government bodies can no longer afford to be complacent about the issues surrounding accessibility.
#19324
What Causes Usability Problems
With so much good advice available, and the need for user input being so much a matter of common sense, it seems fair to ask why usability issues are so common amongst websites and applications - even those which have invested significant resources in development. What is it that drives otherwise sensible organisations and businesses to build products and services that are counter-intuitive and actively annoying for many users? The answers to these questions are revealing, in the sense that they illustrate how easily usability can be subverted by alternative agendas. And they highlight the need for a user champion within the organisation, an individual outside any internal interest groups, and potentially the company itself, who acts as a corrective to the forces that can leave usability on the back burner. This list is not one of objections (no time, no money, etc.), most of which are spurious, but rather of explanations for apparently baffling decisions that are often taken without even thinking about the consequences.
Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2000). Articles>Usability>User Interface
#19328
What's Going On? The Importance Of User Feedback
It is a basic assumption on the web that download times should be kept to a minimum. After all, the longer people are left waiting, the more likely they are to back out (quite literally) of a transaction and look elsewhere for the same service. But despite the general accuracy of this point of view, there is perhaps slightly more to it than this. What frustrates users about slow download times is not so much the wait as the uncertainty. The online environment remains somewhat unreliable - certainly unreliable enough for a user to be unsure that every page request is likely to be successful. In this situation, the lack of ability of the browser to accurately reflect progress is a serious issue in terms of web effectiveness and user satisfaction.
Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2000). Articles>Usability>Methods
#19323
On the basis that user-centred design, user testing and other forms of usability engineering are a 'good thing', it is worth asking how they are best integrated into the development process. Specifically, the issue of timing is critical to the successful implementation of a usability strategy. At what stage of development should these techniques be introduced? Of course the answer to that question rather depends on the unique circumstances of each particular project, but the general principle seems to be 'as early as possible' - with the important caveat that any user involvement is better than none, even at a late stage in the day. But the accepted wisdom that usability engineering should be introduced as early as possible in the development process has many arguments in its favour.
Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2000). Articles>Usability>Methods
#19046
As we have pointed out before, understanding the user is a pre-requisite of high quality interface design, whether online or offline. This means taking the time to find out what motivates typical user groups, what they expect from a given site or application, and how they prefer to work (or play). The alternative to proper user profiling is simply plucking an imaginary 'user' out of the air - usually to add weight to personal preferences or prejudices. The latter situation often consists of a so-called expert dismissing design features because 'the user wouldn't like it', when he or she is really saying 'I don't like it'. This common reference to a single undefined 'user' conjures up amusing images of a God-like entity casting judgment on interfaces from on high. In the real world, as we know, things are a little more complex. If 'the user' is frequently invoked but never defined, it may be time to rethink your usability strategy. Of course, after profiling has taken place, or when talking in generalities, there is nothing wrong with 'the user' being used as a convenient shorthand. But during specific projects it is essential to think in terms of real people rather than abstracts. This approach creates both better design and makes usability more understandable, in concrete terms, for others involved in the development process.
Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Design>Usability>Methods>Personas
#19039
Why "Bobby Approved" Does Not Always Mean Accessible
Bobby is an online testing tool which has been developed to help developers assess web sites for accessibility. It is a free service provided by CAST (Centre for Applied Special Technology), a non-profit organisation which aims to expand opportunities for people with disabilities through computer technology. Bobby looks at the underlying HTML code that controls the presentation of a web page and analyses it against the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines. Many organizations genuinely believe that if their site passes the Bobby test and displays the Bobby icon, it is 'accessible.' In many ways, this is an understandable outlook. The 'Bobby Approved' icon represents an achievable standard and a tangible, recognisable endorsement of efforts made towards web accessibility. However, it should be remembered that the Bobby test does not ensure true 'accessibility.'
Quinn, Anthony. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Design>Web Design>Accessibility
#19314
Why People Can't Use eLearning
Unusable interfaces will cost eLearning companies billions of dollars in lost revenues because many people won’t be able to use their products. The US eLearning market has a projected value of $11.5 billion by 2003 while the European market is expected to be worth $4 billion by 2004. However, poor usability will contribute to disappointing results for many eLearning companies, for the following reasons.
Quinn, Anthony. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Articles>Education>Online>Usability
#19329
A Frontend study of mobile phone users highlights four key user requirements for WAP applications.
Cahill, Joan. Frontend Infocentre (2000). Design>Web Design>Wireless Web>WAP
#34456
Real or Imaginary: The Effectiveness of Using Personas in Product Design 
The use of personas as a method for communicating user requirements in collaborative design environments is well established. However, very little research has been conducted to quantify the benefits of using this technique. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using personas. An experiment was conducted over a period of 5 weeks using students from NCAD. The results showed that, through using personas, designs with superior usability characteristics were produced. They also indicate that using personas provides a significant advantage during the research and conceptualisation stages of the design process (supporting previously unfounded claims). The study also investigated the effects of using different presentation methods to present personas and concluded that photographs worked better than illustrations, and that visual storyboards were more effective in presenting task scenarios than text only versions.
Long, Frank. Frontend Infocentre (2009). Articles>User Centered Design>Methods>Personas
#34457
Tips for Creating Online Forms
Usability is central to the successful completion of online forms. Whether applying for insurance, completing tax returns or simply making an online purchase, a poorly designed or confusing form can lead to users abandoning the process. The following are some tips when designing online forms.
Frontend Infocentre (2009). Design>Web Design>Forms>Usability
#34458
Five Ways to Reduce Costs With User Centred Design
User centred design can be a useful and speedy way of increasing efficiency and hence reducing costs. More often that not, design is seen as a way of increasing sales, attracting eyeballs or retaining customers. However at Frontend we've noticed that some of our most successful projects concentrate on cost-reduction and business efficiency. Here's a few ways we've used user centred design to help our clients save money.
Frontend Infocentre (2009). Articles>User Centered Design>Project Management
#34459
Out of Box Experience: Getting it Right First Time
The out of box experience (OOBE) describes the users first interaction with a product or service. In the technology sector this first experience invariably involves plugging stuff in, installing some software and crossing your fingers in the hope that the product will work. The problem is that, in far too many cases, it doesn’t.
Frontend Infocentre (2009). Articles>User Experience>User Centered Design>Usability
#34460
The Benefits of Viewing User Tests
The benefits of user testing have long been established. It is still important however to try and maximise these benefits. One way in which this can be done is by viewing the user test yourself.
Frontend Infocentre (2009). Articles>Usability>Testing>Methods
#34461
It is important to remember that the experience a person has using a product or service is every bit as important as that product or services usability.
Frontend Infocentre (2009). Articles>User Experience>Usability>Emotions
#34462
Focus Groups - Advantages and Limitations
Focus groups are a great way to collect information from several people very quickly and cost effectively. They are mainly used to gauge people’s reactions and feelings to items, however when used appropriately they can also be used as part of user requirements gathering.
Frontend Infocentre (2009). Articles>Usability>Methods>Focus Groups
#34463
Back To Basics: How Poor Usability Effects Accessibility
In recent user testing with a range of participants including Visually Impaired (VIP) and Blind users we found that the majority of problems were common across all groups. However the effect of poor usability is more severe for users with visual disabilities. Surprisingly all of the issues are very familiar and are easy to fix so we thought we’d revisit some of the basics of accessible web design.
Frontend Infocentre (2009). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Usability
#34464
Webpage Layout: Right Hand Side Blindness
In several recent websites we have user tested, the site designers have placed important task critical links and information on the right hand side (RHS) of three column page layouts. The user testing was conclusive, users ignore any information presented on the RHS. We think this is a similar effect to the well documented banner blindness. It is essential to ensure that import links or information is not positioned on the RHS as they will surely be ignored.
Frontend Infocentre (2009). Articles>Web Design>Document Design>Usability
#34465
Introduction to User Centred Design Process
The key principal of UCD is integrating users that represent the profiles of the target user group/s into the development process. Typically, friends, family and (most definitely) colleagues are not representative of the target user base! However, they’re nearly always free with advice. But the validity of this advice is often questionable. In order to integrate unbiased user feedback into the process the following are key steps in a UCD process.
Frontend Infocentre (2009). Articles>User Centered Design>Methods
