Sometime in 2011, Steve Krug and I were chatting about a puzzling challenge in usability: the unfixed but agreed problem. ‘Agreed problems’ are ones that clients are fully aware of and agree need to be fixed. ‘Puzzling’ because some of those problemsContinue reading… Because the light bulb has to want to change
Tag: usability testing
Form design and usability – an interview in the UX review
“Whose work should you be checking out if you’re interested in better forms?” For me, that’s the most interesting question I was asked in a new interview on forms design and usability for theUXreview because it gave me the opportunity to share a host of linksContinue reading… Form design and usability – an interview in the UX review
Using metrics to help improve a University prospectus
This post, written with Viki Stirling of the Open University, was first published in Tullis, T. and Albert, W. Measuring the User Experience: Collecting, Analyzing, and Presenting Usability Metrics, Morgan Kaufmann/Elsevier 2013. The Open University is the UK’s largest university,Continue reading… Using metrics to help improve a University prospectus
Usability testing for survey research
It was a pleasure to prepare a seminar with Emily Geisen for the SAPOR conference in Raleigh, North Carolina – comparing her experience of usability testing of surveys with my own of usability testing in general. Our workshop slides are now available:Continue reading… Usability testing for survey research
Using measurements to develop complex websites
If you are developing a complex website whose users will come to it to carry out complex tasks then you’re likely to want to use a range of data to support your decision-making. This was the situation when I wasContinue reading… Using measurements to develop complex websites
Statistically significant usability testing
It was an intriguing question: “How do I find out about statistically significant usability testing?”. I’m sure it’s one that you’ve encountered, and maybe your reaction was the same as mine: “That’s the wrong question”. Then I realised that ifContinue reading… Statistically significant usability testing
When more data really isn’t the issue
A few years ago, a rather dull conference speaker spoke one phrase that stuck in my mind. He said: “I was at this meeting, and I heard a voice going ‘blah blah blah’. And then I realised: it was me”.Continue reading… When more data really isn’t the issue
How to look at a form in a hurry
Anyone who has heard or read more than one of my presentations will be familiar with my mantra: ‘test, test and test again’. It’s the only way to find our whether something really is usable, and yet we’re sometimes put in a positionContinue reading… How to look at a form in a hurry
Teaching beginners to find usability problems
My sister lives in Melbourne and that naturally makes me want to get to Australia as often as I can. So I was especially pleased when a few things came together and I was able to make it to OzCHI,Continue reading… Teaching beginners to find usability problems
One facilitator good, four facilitators better?
I’m a lone consultant, and occasionally I get lucky: I persuade a client that it would be great if we could have a trained observer/logger helping me to conduct the usability test. That’s about as elaborate as it gets. ButContinue reading… One facilitator good, four facilitators better?