| Randy M. Brooks, Ph.D. Millikin University |
Web Design User Testing
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The foundational design principles of all hypermedia, including web designs, are Orientation, Navigation, and Interactivity. Hypermedia invite users into interaction, essentially creating a momentary relationship or exchange. And hypermedia attempts to encourage users to make choices, to direct, shape or control the interaction--not merely to receive information. The user enters into a relationship with the hypermedia and pulls out what is important or interesting or of value.
The primary complication and challenge is that there are so many different types of people. An experienced web user with a strong goal-orientation personality needs a minimal amount of orientation, but wants clearly labeled, obvious navigation cues. She wants to get her answer immediately. Anything else is garbage. The only interaction she wants is results.
On the other hand, another kind user may need a great deal of orientation--introductions, explanations of what is available at the web site, annotations of links so that they know what they will find before clicking on the hyperlink. They may appreciate the carefully placed prompt to click here or to return to the "home" page whenever they feel lost.
And then there is the playful person who loves to explore every nook and cranny of a book, a web site, who probably needs only minimal orientation, but loves diversions and side trips and surprises. They like hypermedia because it's fun. They want to explore and find out what's there for themselves. They don't want a site-map. They'll find their own way around.
Each of these learners (and their similar brothers and sisters) are valuable to you and your web site. Your goal is to provide a design that works for all, that lets each of them quickly feel oriented (know where they are) and (how much is here). Your goal is to help them immediately understand how to navigate (find what they want and how to get back to home base) within your hypermedia. You want them to interact (use, respond to, change, evolve) your hypermedia on their own terms.
User testing is a process of observing a variety of users interact with your hypertext web pages. The user should talk out loud all of their thoughts and feelings as they move through the web site. Please explain that you can not help them once they start, that you will be too busy observing their choices and thoughts. Record your observations and especially note instances when you have a strong urge to help or explain things--those are areas that probably need work.
In order to better understand how different personality types will orient, navigate and respond to your web site, you need a simple way to get a basic personality profile. The following is one possible way to gather such information. This is one of several possible instruments to account for the variable of personality in user interaction.
Print out the following User Profile Character Trait scoring sheet or write down the words that represent your personality preferences, then tabulate your score on the comparison chart below:
The information gathered from this user profile will not be kept as a record of your personality preferences. Your score will not be discussed, except for in user testing analysis and subsequent publications. In such publications, your profile will be described and cited only as an assigned user test case number.
This profile does not represent distinct personality types, but certain strengths and general personality preferences which may affect your approach to using or learning how to use a new software program or view a new online document. This profile is derived from "The Personal Strengths Survey" in The Two Sides of Love by Gary Smalley and John Trent (Focus on the Family Publishing; Pomona, CA, 1990).
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Consider the different purposes people might bright to this site Decatur Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). New person in town looking for a church home? A church member looking up the date of an upcoming event, such as the children's Christmas show? The retired person interested in church history, especially Disciples history? Someone applying for a job at the church? How will their purposes and personalities interact with the web site design?
Consider the lion and otter perspectives toward interacting with http://www.indyracingleague.com.
What would the beaver like about NCSA--A Beginner's Guide to HTML and what about the Otter? The lion?
Which personality type would find this site http://www.movies.warnerbros.com/twister/ most appealing?
Does this site http://www.acm.org/sigchi take a variety of user personalities into account? Should it?
Do sites call forth certain roles for users? How about McDonald's site?
Or this site for web designers http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/contents.html? Or http://www.w3.org?
Finally, sites that have more encyclopedic function, or sites that assume a diverse public of users should provide something for all types. Consider the Discovery Online site.