I often encounter items on availability testing when I study in the EU Availability China. The most important thing in the early days of doing these items is to find comparisons for the usability test method suitable for this item in many usability test methods. This article combines a little experience in the author to choose from the choice of test methods for usefulness.
The availability test is generally to test whether the usability of the software has reached the user's requirements. The availability test method can be roughly divided into four types, user model methods, user investigation methods, expert review methods and observation.
User model method is usually used to simulate the process of human-computer interaction with mathematical models. For example, the GOMS model method is a process of interacting human-machine-mover as a process of solving problems. It is considered to use a software system, such as using an email software to send an email. Each large purpose can be subdivided into many small purposes. In order to complete each small purpose, there are different ways to choose from. Each fine process can calculate the time of completion. This model can be used to predict the user's time to complete the task. The advantage of the user model method is to be able to compare different interfaces or systems. And relatively easy. This method has successfully compared the effectiveness of different computer systems. This method helps to determine the effectiveness of new products. However, this method only applies to computer tasks for analyzing data entry, and can only preceder
Implementation and unable to analyze errors.
Therefore, this method is generally used in the case where the user test cannot be performed. The user model can predict the case of the user, but do not have to do actual testing of the user. For example: We hope to improve the utilization of the school library online resource, designing many feasible programs, how can I determine which solution can most effectively meet the needs of the students? Use the user model method to answer this question very well.
The user survey method can directly collect opinions and suggestions from users, which make it easy to count and analyze the collected data. The technique for soliciting user views can be structured or non-structured (open). User survey questions can get the direct feelings of their products. Interviews and investigations are also a long-lasting technology in social science research market research and human machine interactions. Suitable for rapid evaluation. Availability testing and field research. To understand facts, behavioral beliefs and views. This approach is often more effective for a single system. Such as the ease of use of the ATM machine. Test, etc. of the mail system. But there are tens of thousands of web pages for typical websites. Large sites may have hundreds of thousands of web pages, and user testing cannot be competent. In fact, users are only suitable for testing home or primary navigation systems. We can't really test each web page. Even with shortcuts and more users participate, it is still difficult to test all web pages. Therefore, this situation can only consider using another way to evaluate availability - expert review method.
Expert Review Law is the "Economy Availability Project" advocated by usability experts to design some of the easy-to-use, fast simple methods to be designed, suitable for all stages of all design and design. And it is not limited by the budget. They only need to know that simple and internal rules can check most of the web pages. Such as "consistency principles", "prompt information, etc.". So the expert review method is more suitable for large systems that are more task. Then you may think that "Expert Review" is the universal key of the designer, it can prompt all design defects, do not do this. This also has some problems. Expert reviews may miss some important issues. Experts may also report some problems that do not exist. We have to review the so-called "experts". Make sure they do have necessary skills. The ideal expert should have specialization of interaction design and product application field. Therefore, this method is high in practical applications.
The observation method is to observe the method of using software using software. This usually includes a user test method and a recorded method. User test is generally carried out in the laboratory. The use of the recording method is to observe the user's use record, which has become more practical in the network age, and many websites have users' records, and some of these usability issues can be found. As the bystander is observed, the observer observes and analyzes various phenomena, which is more objective. When participating in the observation, the evaluator cooperates with users to understand the activities and experiences of users in technology applications. The difficulty of this approach is how to set the user's task to test the task that can represent system functions.
