Homework 1: You Be the Judge (Due 1/25 11:59pm)
(a.k.a. The first real assignment)
You will evaluate the usability of one good site and one bad site. You can work alone or with a partner.
If you are working alone:
Pick one website you consider good and one website you consider bad. For each website, come up with a non-trivial task that a user would want to complete using the website.
For each task, complete the task. Note the steps you took and the aspects of the interface that helped/hindered you. The steps should be on the level of mouse clicks, scrolling, searching for something for a while, waiting a while for something to download, etc.
Turn In (Alone)
For each task, your write up should include:
- Website name and URL
- Task
- Steps taken to complete the task
- Aspects of the interface that helped you
- Aspects of the interface that hindered you
If you are working with a partner:
Together, pick one website you two consider good and one website you two consider bad. For each website, come up with a non-trivial task that a user would want to complete using the website.
For each task, one person is the observer and the other is the user. The same person cannot always be the user. The user must complete the task, while the observer watches and notes the steps the user takes and aspects of the interface that helps/hinders them. The steps should be on the level of mouse clicks, scrolling, searching for something for a while, waiting a while for something to download, etc.
While (and possibly after) the user completes the task, the observer asks them at least 5 questions about why they performed certain actions, why they are confused, how they knew something was the right thing to do, etc. After the task is complete, the observer should ask at least 5 more questions, this time about the user’s overall impression, their opinion on certain features of the site, etc.
Turn In (Pair)
You will do a write up for the task that you observed. It should include:
- Your partner’s name
- Website name and URL
- Task
- Steps taken to complete the task
- Questions asked by observer
- User’s answers to the questions
- Aspects of the interface that helped the user
- Aspects of the interface that hindered the user
- At least 3 ways in which you would improve the interface.
Extra Credit
If Alone
Oh the Humanatee! (1%-2% EC): Analyze up to 2 additional tasks (each worth 1% EC). They must come from websites you haven't used for this homework yet.
There’s still hope (0.5% EC): For each website, discuss at least 3 ways in which you would improve it.
If with Partner
Oh the Humanatees! (2% EC): Analyze 2 more tasks. They must come from websites you haven't used for this homework yet. Each partner must be the observer once.