List Provides Way for Developers to Reach Testers with Visual Impairment

A mailing list now connects users with visual impairments willing to act as testers and website developers concerned with accessibility.

Light, Ann. Usability News (2003). Articles>Usability>Accessibility

Male and Female Attitudes Toward Computer-Mediated Group Interactions

Without question, the impact of computer-mediated communication, such as e-mail, chat groups, and group support systems on the functioning of businesses and society-at-large has been considerable. This impact has led to many assertions, like the ability of computer media to level, in some respects, the business interaction process by bringing individuals from anywhere within the business hierarchy together. Moreover, it has been maintained that it may also produce more open and democratic interactions than face-to-face communication by masking the normal trappings of authority or status that are commonly found in face-to-face communication (Sproull & Keisler,1992). However, we still do not have a firm grasp of what effect this medium has upon both male and female attitudes stemming from task-related interactions.

Bernard, Michael, Melissa Mills and Cindy Friend. Usability News (2000). Articles>Usability

Measuring Online Experience: It's About More Than Time!

Users' specific online activities, their knowledge of computers and the Internet, and how they feel about being online could differ significantly. In order to obtain a more robust measure, researchers may want to consider how and what users think, feel, and do online when they assess level of experience. In this article we explore each of these areas and present a new measure of measuring online experience.

Rogers, Bonnie Lida. Usability News (2003). Articles>Usability>Testing>Online

Metaphors and Website Design: A Cross-Cultural Case Study of the Tide.com Stain Detective

This study investigated the generalization of a home metaphor used in the Tide.com Stain Detective (Nelson & Hibner, 2003) to middle-class Indian females. The stain detective was developed with American women based on a card sorting activity. A similar card sorting activity was conducted with six Indian females. Results showed that the Indian participants grouped the stains by the amount of work that was required to remove it, rather than by the location where it occurred.

Shaikh, A. Dawn, Barbara S. Chaparro, W. Todd Nelson and Anirudha Joshi. Usability News (2005). Design>Web Design>Writing>India

Must Usability Die?

Usability is a discipline which seeks to achieve positive outcomes, yet in some corners it has developed a negative image--as witnessed by the website usabilitymustdie.com. This article explores some of the reasons as to why this negative image may exist. It encourages practitioners to be better trained and those who hire them to demand the highest quality from the profession.

del Galdo, Elisa and Jason Williams. Usability News (2006). Articles>Usability

Online Flipping: Examination of the Digital FlipViewer

This article examines the usability of FlipViewer software for digital FlipBooks. The FlipViewer software allows users to read online documents in a three-dimensional e-book format simulates a paper document. Participants performed 11 tasks with a FlipBook and their performance was evaluated. Some tasks were difficult for participants to complete, however, participants were satisfied overall with their experience using FlipViewer® and 100% indicated that they would recommend the product to others.

Hull, Spring S. Usability News (2005). Articles>Publishing>Online>eBooks

Online Groceries and Textbooks: Is E-Shopping the Answer for Today's College Student?

Statistics show staggering numbers of users abandon their shopping carts before making a purchase - many times due to 'poor user experience' (Gordon, 2000). In our continuing quest to further understand how people shop online, we investigated sites from two different domains that are of interest to today's university students: grocery shopping and student textbooks.

Chaparro, Barbara S., T. St. Romain and R. Hacker. Usability News (2001). Articles>Usability

Password Security: What Users Know and What They Actually Do

This study investigated the common password generation practices of online users. Three hundred and fifteen undergraduate and graduate students completed a survey querying (1) the types and number of different password protected accounts maintained; (2) actual practices used in generating, storing and using passwords; (3) practices believed they should use in generating and storing passwords; and (4) general demographic information. Results indicate that, in general, users do not vary the complexity of passwords depending on the nature of the site (bank account vs. instant messenger) or change their passwords on any regular basis if it is not required by the site. Users report using lower case letters, numbers or digits, personally meaningful numbers and personally meaningful words when creating passwords, despite the fact that they realize that these methods may not be the most secure.

Riley, Shannon. Usability News (2006). Articles>Usability>Security

Perception of Fonts: Perceived Personality Traits and Uses

This study sought to determine if certain personalities and uses are associated with various fonts. Using an online survey, participants rated the personality of 20 fonts using 15 adjective pairs. In addition, participants viewed the same 20 fonts and selected which uses were most appropriate. Results suggested that personality traits are indeed attributed to fonts based on their design family (Serif, Sans-Serif, Modern, Monospace, Script/Funny) and are associated with appropriate uses. Implications of these results to the design of online materials and websites are discussed.

Shaikh, A. Dawn, Barbara S. Chaparro and Doug Fox. Usability News (2006). Design>Typography>Visual Rhetoric

Practicing What We Preach? A Usability Evaluation of the HFES Proceedings CD-ROM

When it comes to conferences, traditional paper proceedings are quickly being replaced by their electronic counterparts. The annual conference of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is no exception. Last year’s 2000 conference proceedings were available solely on the CD-ROM, “Ergonomics for the Millennium.” After working with the proceedings ourselves and hearing other conference attendees comment on the difficulties accessing information from the proceedings, we decided to conduct a quick usability test on the software.

Baker, J. Ryan. Usability News (2001). Articles>Usability

Reading Online Text: A Comparison of Four White Space Layouts

In this study, reading performance with four white space layouts was compared. Margins surrounding the text and leading (space between lines) were manipulated to generate the four white space conditions. Results show that the use of margins affected both reading speed and comprehension in that participants read the Margin text slower, but comprehended more than the No Margin text. Participants were also generally more satisfied with the text with margins. Leading was not shown to impact reading performance but did influence overall user preference.

Chaparro, Barbara S., J. Ryan Baker, A. Dawn Shaikh, Spring S. Hull and Laurie Brady. Usability News (2004). Design>Web Design>Typography>Visual Rhetoric

Reading with RSVP on a Small Screen: Does Font Size Matter?

Devices with Small Screen Interfaces (SSI), such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), are in great demand due to their small size and their many functions. One  important drawback, however, is the limited amount of real estate that can be devoted to the presentation of text. When considering this limitation, questions arise as to the best way to present electronic text so that both the quality of the reading experience and user preference is optimized.

Russell, Mark C., John Hull and Rose Wesley. Usability News (2001). Design>Web Design>Wireless Web

Return on Investment for Usability

Development projects should spend 10% of their budget on usability. Following a usability redesign, websites increase usability by 135% on average; intranets improve slightly less.

Nielsen, Jakob. Usability News (2003). Articles>Usability>Assessment

Review: A Review of Morae 2.0 for Usability Testing

TechSmith's recent release, Morae 2.0, features a new graphing tool, integrated satisfaction survey, and embedded task definitions. The editable marker log in Observer and the improved timeline controls in the Manager improve operator efficiency. This article highlights these and other new features of the new 2.0.

Shrestha, Sav. Usability News (2007). Articles>Reviews>Usability>Testing

A Review of Morae for Usability Testing

TechSmith's Morae is a powerful tool that is useful for any usability study. Its simplicity, efficiency, cost effectiveness and portability has redefined the data collection process and allows researchers to focus on the user experience rather than the data collection tools. This article discusses some of the features of this tool and proposes some enhancements to make it even more powerful to usability practitioners.

Shrestha, Sav. Usability News (2007). Articles>Usability>Testing>Software

RSVP in Review: A Comparison of Programs for the PC and Handheld Devices

RSVP is a method of displaying text one word (or sentence) at a time in the same area of a screen. RSVP has been used as a method of teaching reading, speed reading, as well as assessing reading speed and comprehension in students and adults. At SURL, we have been interested in the use of RSVP with small-screen interfaces, such as those used on handheld devices.

Russell, Mark C. and Shannon Riley. Usability News (2003). Articles>Usability>Testing

Satisfaction Survey by Web or by Paper? A Case Study at a Fortune 500 Company

Surveys are an invaluable tool for helping organizations stay abreast of issues within the corporate social environment. As the cost and pace of daily business increases, so does the need for high quality, cost-effective, timely, and efficient data collection. Traditionally, surveys have been done using paper methodologies, which can be costly to administer in terms of time, labor, and materials. The advent of the Internet has dramatically increased the ease, reach, and speed of survey administration and data collection, while simultaneously decreasing associated costs, making surveys faster, easier to administer, and cheaper than ever before.

Laughlin, Brian. Usability News (2001). Articles>Usability>Tools

Searching the University Course Schedule Using a Digital FlipBook

This article examines user performance and satisfaction of a university schedule of courses using the FlipViewer® digital FlipBook format. This format was compared to a schedule of courses website and subjectively compared to the university’s printed schedule of courses catalog. Results indicate that the participants performed some tasks faster with the FlipBook format and found it to be engaging and easy-to-use.

Hull, Spring S. Usability News (2006). Design>Web Design>Search>eBooks

Should You Check In Your Textbooks and Check Out an eBook?

The development of the electronic book (eBook) has offered an alternative to the traditional printed text medium. The advantages of the eBook, such as increased storage capacity (10-250 texts per eBook), decreased storage space and weight, and decreased cost of production to the consumer, make it an attractive option for consumers. In addition, previous research has indicated no significant differences exist for reading speed and reading comprehension between paper and eBook presentation (Selvidge & Phillips, 2000). It is therefore not surprising that the University of Michigan and Columbia University have already created and distributed electronic versions of textbooks for some of their major university projects (Epstein, 1999). However, if the eBook is to be considered as a viable alternative to the traditional book, then it is important to explore the usability of the device.

Selvidge, Paula, Angie Fryman and Shannon Riley. Usability News (2001). Articles>Usability>Publishing

Smooth or Textured: Does Mouse Pad Surface Impact Performance?

This study examined the effects of mouse pad usage on performance of a target acquisition task. Results indicated no performance difference between three specialized mouse pads, a traditional mouse pad and no mouse pad. In addition, no significant differences were found between each of the mousing surfaces based on kinematic data. The results suggest that manufacturer claims of increased performance cannot be supported by empirical evidence.

Slocum, Jeremy and Shelby Thompson. Usability News (2005). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Usability

So, What Size and Type of Font Should I Use on My Website?

By far the two most common types of fonts currently used on the Web are the serif font, Times New Roman (TNR) and the sans serif font, Arial. The question is, which one is more legible and at which size? In the past, it has been determined that serif fonts, which have ornamental strokes at the tip and base of each letter, are easier to read on paper than sans serif fonts, which do not have serifs. This is because it is believed that serifs help distinguished each individual letter (Albers, 1963). However, this benefit may be reduced or even eliminated on computer screens because of their display particularities, like poorer screen resolution and aliasing or 'jaggies,' as it is commonly known.

Bernard, Michael and Melissa Mills. Usability News (2000). Articles>Usability>Web Design

Stop, or Dr Nielsen gets it! - the Backlash in Usability?

Some of the criticism Jakob Nielsen is now drawing comes from the very community he represents. A few years ago, Jakob was King and we were delighted that someone had managed to raise awareness of usability and the benefit to design that involving the user might yield. That has now given way to a frustration with the authority he commands.

Light, Ann. Usability News (2002). Articles>Usability

Summer Internship @ Google, Inc.: Accessibility Experiences

This paper summarizes some of the major lessons learned about conducting usability tests with visually impaired participants while working as interns at Google, Inc. The lessons were in four major areas: (1) recruitment and scheduling, (2) preparing the usability lab for testing sessions, (3) using think-aloud protocol with screen readers, and (4) helping observers to get the most out of the test sessions.

Shaikh, A. Dawn and Philip Strain. Usability News (2007). Careers>Internships>Accessibility>Visual

Testing... 1 2 3 4 5 ... Testing...

Usability can sometimes be more about belief than about evidence or engineering, with usability testing heading the list as a central tenet of the dogma of modern practice. One disgruntled participant in a recent conference even commented: 'It is unbelievable that an instructor at CHI would question the importance of user research and usability testing'. Yet, precisely because of its leading role, it is important for the profession to question the dogma of usability testing and for professionals to keep abreast of new developments and changing perspectives.

Constantine, Larry L. Usability News (2003). Articles>Usability