Developers as Users: Exploring the Experiences of Using a New Theoretical Method for Usability Assessment

Lars-Ola Bligård,Marianne Karlsson,Helena Strömberg

doi:10.1155/2017/6131575

Lars-Ola Bligård, Marianne Karlsson + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/6131575

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Abstract

There is a need for appropriate evaluation methods to efficiently identify and counteract usability issues early in the development process. The aim of this study was to investigate how product developers assessed a new theoretical method for identifying usability problems and use errors. Two cases where the method had been applied were selected and the users of the method in them were asked to fill in a questionnaire and were then interviewed about their experiences of using the method. Overall, the participants (students and professionals) found the methods useful and their outcome trustworthy. At the same time, the methods were assessed as difficult to learn and as cumbersome and tedious to use. Nevertheless, both students and professionals thought that the methods would be useful in future development work. Suggestions for further improvement included provision of further instructions, for example, on how to adapt the methods and development of an IT-support tool.

Highlights

For most products, from simple artefacts to complex technical systems, safe and easy handling is essential
This paper presents a study comprising two cases where product developers evaluated a combination of two recently developed theoretical methods: Enhanced Cognitive Walkthrough (ECW, [14]) and Predictive Use Error Analysis (PUEA, [15])
The conclusions from the study were that ECW/PUEA worked well in finding usability problems (91%) and use errors (59%) compared to problems and errors identified with usability testing

Summary

Introduction

From simple artefacts to complex technical systems, safe and easy handling is essential. A step towards creating products that are safe and easy to use is to try to identify and counteract mismatches in the interaction between users and products as early as possible in the development process, long before the product is to be used in a real use situation. To be able to identify and counteract possible usability issues, there is a need for usability evaluation methods that can be applied early in the development process. In addition to being applicable early in the development process, theoretical or expert-based methods hold additional benefits compared to user-based methods including that they may be performed without first-hand access to users and that they require less time and effort (e.g., [9])

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