Contact:
Feb 5 10:00-11:30 am Mary Bernson and Kristin Chaney, Project Coordinator, (UW Jackson School of International Studies, East Asia Resource Center)
Usability Test Scenarios
General Site
Script: We're going to begin the usability test by just opening the site and looking at how it's organized. I'll ask you to do a few simple tasks. Feel free to "guess" at what to do or how to do it. There are no right answers. Also, if you can, verbalize what you're thinking while you're doing it. I'll be taking notes so I can go back and see where the confusing things are in the site. This will help us make it much easier to use.
Open the site: http://youthforum.askasia.org/ What's the first thing you're inclined to do when you view this page?
(Capture general impressions.)
- Drawn to left navigation, colored text
- Hesitant about the site because of the LOG IN (will it be worth it to log in?)
- Navigation icons are clever, but have negative impact because they distract you from the content
- The formatting of the frame pulls you away from the content
If you go to HELP ORIENTATION, what do you expect to find there?
- How to use the site; post to the forum
- Get technical help
- Find out what the site would do
If you go to PROJECT SHOWCASE, what do you expect to find there?
- Most exciting topic; wants to click it first
- Lists top examples of projects and collaborations
In reviewing the Project Showcase:
- Would prefer navigation arrows side by side
< previous current next >- Show slides better (maybe with thumbnails?)
- Text describing the project is in the left nav column -- so she missed it
If you go to SKILLS TOOLBOX, what do you expect to find there?
- No idea of what's here
- "Skills Toolbox" sounds like a teacher term; not attractive to students
Go back to the home page
(Do they click Home link on top nav?)
Admin Area
Logging in to Admin
Script: Now that we've looked around the public areas of the site, we're going to log in as Admin and do some tasks there.
LOG IN as Admin. (I'll do it for you.)
(Michele did it) Now you see the Admin page of the YF displayed. What are you inclined to do first?
(Capture general impressions.)
- Business-like terminology -- not too appealing of educator types
- Would go to Teachers' Modules (unless she knew what she had to do) -- although confused about what these are
User Manager
Script: Now that you're in the Admin Area, we'll do some tasks. The first has to do with managing users who have registered on the YF.
Check if any new users have registered and need approval.
(Do they go to User Manager page?
Do they search for Pending?
Do they select a user and approve him?)
- If multiple Admin people, who gets assigned to which projects/schools?
- Could you approve Users as a group on the list (not one-by-one, opening up each user profile)
- Hard to find search button
- Wanted to search by state
Customized Project Manager
Script: Now, let's create a project. Projects are created using three types of project templates. When you create one with a specific description, it's called a Customized Project.
Let's create a new customized project.
(general impressions)
- Text heavy
- Instructions in black text don't jump out at you -- what to do
- Why do independent projects depend on Japanese translation?
- Burden of getting Japanese translation falls on the Admin person?
Project Broker
Script: When both an American school and a Japanese school sign up for the same project, then the Admin person needs to make a match.
Go to Project Broker
(general impressions)
- Avoids reading text
Project Instance Manager
Script: Each time a school signs up for a project, that creates a new project instance.
Go to Project Instance Manager
(general impressions)
- Hard to read the instructions; not sure what to do
- Too much terminology; too complex ("Project Instance" is not meaningful)
- Confusing how to reactivate projects
Translation Manager
Script: Asia Society provides translation services for Japanese-English translation.
Go to Translation Manager
(general impressions)
- Used to seeing icons to select something (e.g., "Needs translation")
- Looks like it would be automatic translation
- "Item #'s" are not meaningful
Project Showcase Manager
Script: Finished Projects can be displayed in the Project Showcase.
Go to Project Showcase Manager
(general impressions)
- Confusing. No warning on Delete!!
Logging out of the YF
Script: You've set up your project. Now you're ready to leave the YF site.
How would you exit the site?
(Do they click HOME, then LOG OUT?)
- Couldn't find it. Not intuitive.
General Comments
Script: Now that you've had a quick tour of the YF site, what comments do you have?
Comments
Navigation and Site Design
- Navigation is too "heavy" -- too many conflicting icons. What does clicking an icon do?
- Turn off all movement (except maybe on home page when you first arrive)
- Banner is so colorful, it completes with the project text and pictures
- Site is built from the "inside out" -- uses its own terminology and creates own appeal, but users work with many sites; not intuitive in relation to other sites.
- Text is small on the screen, but is hard-coded (can't be enlarged)
- Suggests simplifying, combining and grouping options more; use user-friendly language
Roles, Admin
- Need to make roles clearer (otherwise, spend weeks training an Administrator)
- If the tasks are confusing, why would someone volunteer to be an Administrator? The Admin role is not exciting, but would be stressful because teachers would ask for last-minute updates. This would lead to teacher disappointment.
- Recommends that Asia Society provide centralized Admin support.
- YF could be beneficial to teachers; but too much for Administrator.
Projects, Templates, Content
- Can you connect projects (i.e. have a Forum, Newsletter, and Gallery all on the topic of "Conflict"?)
- It seems hard to fit all the content into these three templates; would undermine creativity
- How to base matches on level of Japanese that students have?
Would teachers use the site?
- Teachers are busy. If they have to wait to have registration "approved," might not do it.
- If there were more open projects in the Showcase, might be more likely to go there.
- [MA - Would teachers on Japan homestay be likely to use it?] No, would use email to communicate with students; effort here is too great.
Caveat: I didn't not go over the Members Area with them; so their impressions were based on experiencing the Admin part without actually "creating" projects.