To: Students in Psychology 384, Research Laboratory in Human Factors

From: Susan Brennan and Tony Weaver

Date: Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

Re: Assignment 1: Usability (Due Thursday, Feb. 3, 2009)

In this exercise, you will use an application that is new to you and document your experience in detail. The result of this exercise will be a memo addressed to: Susan Brennan and Tony Weaver, entitled something like "Re: Usability of <fill in your application here> ."

Your memo should be well written, typed, and no more than three pages (1 1⁄2-spaced) in length. Please read this entire page over carefully before you begin, and see one of us if anything is unclear or if you need suggestions for an application to use for this assignment.

For inspiration before you begin, make sure you’ve done the reading in Don Norman’s book The Design of Everyday Things.

1. Choose an application. Choose a particular software or internet application (or version of an application) that you haven't used before, for instance: an unfamiliar text editor, spreadsheet program, email program, library reference program, music editor, drawing or image-editing program, statistics program, or information interface from the internet (for example, the CITI on-line human subjects training program or any other internet application that you need to use for a task that has several steps). Make sure you choose one that is NEW to you and that you can use to perform some specific task (it shouldn't be so trivially easy that nothing can go wrong, or else you won't have enough to write about). In your memo, first tell us what application program you are going to try out, and in a sentence or two, note any previous experience you have that may be relevant to your choice of application. Then say how you would accomplish the task if you weren't going to use that particular application.

Hypothetical examples: Perhaps you have done some image-editing, but you have never used PhotoShop before. So you decide to document the usability of Photoshop. Start by briefly describing your previous experience with image-editing.

Or: You normally write your papers using Word 2004 for Mac. You decide to try out a different word processor (this could even be a later version of Word for Mac, or Word for PC). Start by briefly describing your experience with your old text editor.

Or: You have never in your life used a spreadsheet program, but you have an idea about what they're supposed to do. So you choose to try out Excel. Start by stating that you have no experience, but say how you would normally accomplish the functionality of a spreadsheet if you weren't using a computer application.

Other suggestions: Final Cut (video editing), SuperLab (experimental data collection), SPSS (statistics)

2. Decide on the task. In advance of trying the application out, list at least three different things that you think you should be able to accomplish with the application. If you want suggestions about what three things to choose, feel free to ask one of us.

Example: For a drawing program, you might decide to create and print three kinds of drawings, for instance: a freehand sketch, a diagram made up of geometric elements, and a drawing that includes text (or else a collage of drawings already contained in the computer).

Or: For the STARS library information system, you might decide to see if a particular book or journal is currently available in the library, then find a selection of books on a particular topic, and then find all the books the library has by a particular author.

3. Take detailed notes. Now sit down with your application and try it out. Make sure you take notes about what you try to do and what happens, step by step. Mention the setting you're in (e.g., in Psych A 141 with a PC). Then say how you start using the application. In several sentences, describe what you see on the screen (or hear, etc.) and your initial impressions. Include the initial instructions (if any) the program gives you, or any initial options that appear on a menu, buttons, etc.. Then start using the application; as you use it, write down each thing that you do (include what you type, any selecting, dragging, or clicking with the mouse, any menu selections you make). Write down what the computer does in response to your actions, or on its own initiative (for example : "I selected FILE from the menu; a menu of options appeared; I selected OPEN, and a dialog box appeared that asked for FILE NAME. I typed in the filename README, and selected the DO IT button. A box popped up saying FILE NAME "README" UNKNOWN."). Be sure to include any false starts, error messages, or things you found puzzling. For repetitive actions in your session, just describe them in detail once.

4. Describe successes and errors. As you keep a log of your actions and the computer's, make it clear what you're trying to accomplish in your task and when an action is successful. Note especially when something weird or unexpected happens, or when you try to do something the program won't let you do. When it's interesting, make a note of how you figured out what to do next. Note also when you didn’t know how to do something at first, and describe how you figured it out (if you were able to figure it out!). We are particularly interested in any errors you experience- these include outcomes that you didn't intend, or misconceptions on your part, or error messages from the computer. Were you able to figure out what went wrong? Did you experience any dead ends, where you had to give up and start over? Why do you suppose these problems occurred? Organize your notes and describe your experience with clarity and detail in your memo.

5. Document: Now imagine that you have an extremely techno-phobic friend who is going to try to do the same task that you just did. Write out a short but very clear list of steps for that person; try to ensure that she or he will avoid any errors that you encountered. Be sure to take his or her perspective.

6. Conclude. End your memo by briefly summarizing your opinion about the software application you used. Did you get all the parts of your task done? Was the software easy and intuitive to use, or bumpy and frustrating? How many mistakes or errors did you experience? What was easier or harder about using this program than it would have been if you were using an alternative method (for instance, one that did not involve using a computer)? Do you think that with more experience on your part, the program would be significantly easier to use, or is the interface so good that you feel like an expert after one session? If you could have the designers of the program change anything, what would you have them change?

Note: Be sure to address all of these points. You are to do this assignment entirely on your own. The point of this assignment is to sharpen your critical and observational powers, to encourage you to analyze your interactive experience step by step, and to give you an opportunity to begin to apply the concepts we have been covering. If you have any questions, please ask one of us.