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You can measure usability and there is a range of metrics available to help you measure your design improvements. There are numerous measures that can help you find out if your improvements are:
- More efficient for users
- Easier to learn
- More satisfying to users
What can I measure?
There are several measures of usability, including:
- Effectiveness
- Efficiency
- Satisfaction
- Ease of learning
- Memorability
- Error frequency and severity
The three most common factors measured in usability testing include: effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction.
- Effectiveness: A user's ability to successfully use a Web site to find information and accomplish tasks.
- Efficiency: A user's ability to quickly accomplish tasks with ease and without frustration.
- Satisfaction: How much a user enjoys using the Web site.
What data should I collect?
There are two types of usability metrics that can be captured during a usability test. These metrics include:
- Performance data (what actually happened)
- Preference data (what participants thought)
In more formal, rigorous usability tests, we tend to rely more on performance data than preference data.
Performance data that can be captured include:
Successful completion rates Effectiveness: Are users able to find information and accomplish tasks?
Time on task (or completion times) Efficiency: Are users able to accomplish tasks quickly?
Number of pages viewed Efficiency:How many pages do users visit before successfully finding information on the site? How does the number of pages viewed compare to the number of pages required to find the information?
Pathway or clickstream analysis Effectiveness: Are users able to select the correct path to find information? Efficiency: How lost do users become in the site? How many times does a user use the back button?
Preference data that can be captured include:
Subjective satisfaction Satisfaction: Do users enjoy using the Web site?
User comments Satisfaction: Are users frustrated or confused by the site?
Preference ratings Satisfaction: Do users prefer a particular design?
Contact New-Loong and get your web site usability data. |
