17. Evaluating the Interface
Evaluation = The essence of interface design
Evaluation - getting feedback of your design : Important points
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Characteristics of the users: beginners - experts - casual users
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Tasks: fixed tasks - user activities
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Environment: laboratory - field study
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Product: prototype - full product
Reasons for evaluation
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Understanding the real world
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Comparing designs
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Engineering towards the target
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Checking conformance to standards
Evaluation in the life cycle
Early stages
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Predict usability
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Check your understanding
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Test out ideas
Later stages
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Identify difficulties
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Improve product
Evaluation methods
Methods vs. reasons: XX very likely choice, xx less likely, --
no use
|
Observing and monitoring performance |
Collecting the users opinions |
Experiments and benchmarks |
Interpretive evaluation |
Predictive evaluation |
| Engineering towards the target |
xx |
XX |
XX |
-- |
xx |
| Understanding the real world |
XX |
XX |
-- |
XX |
-- |
| Comparing designs |
XX |
XX |
xx |
-- |
XX |
| conformance to standards |
-- |
-- |
XX |
-- |
-- |
The Usability Methods
Toolbox by James Hom is a good source for research and analysis
methods