Chapter 9- Ensuring Usability

By: Ryan & Andrea

This chapter talks about what usability actually is, critical principles that guide it, testing usability, the different kinds of testing, differences in those that use it, how to implement a test plan, conducting and reporting the tests, and the accessibility aspect of usability.


The chapter starts out talking about how different documents may be hard to comprehend and can make the experience frustrating, which would be poor usability. To be usable the communication needs to successfully meet the needs of the people that are using documents, websites or other media in difficult situations. This is why usability is important.




Usability is the degree in which texts easily and effectively enable people to accomplish their goals. There are five principles that are very important and need to be applied to visuals, presentations, print and electronic texts. These principles can be used to assess the usability to different kinds of texts developed by technical communicators and technical professionals. They are:
Learnability- How easily people learn to use the text and how quickly they can
become productive using them?
Efficiency- How productive people are while using the text or product?
Memorability- How well do people remember how to use the text or products
from one use to another?
Error Recovery- How many errors and how serious are those errors that the users
make? How quickly can the users correct those errors?
Satisfaction- How satisfied are the users with the product’s performance and do
they enjoy using them?

Usability testing is very important in usability principles. Usability testing gathers information from people that are similar to the intended users. They are observed while using the products and texts, which measures the five principles, learnability, efficiency, memorability, error recovery, and user satisfaction. The purpose of usability testing is to identify problems before the text is released and also for historical records of the test results, which is helpful for future documents or development of additional materials. The testing provides information in ways in which people think, believe, feel and perform, the four areas are:

Cognitive: How users think about the test?
Perception: How the users understand the text?
Affect: What the users’ attitudes are towards the test?
Performance and behavior: What do users do with the text and products, how do
they try to solve the problems and what do they do
when they are faced with a problem?

There are limitations when designing a test and some things that a person needs to consider is who is participating in the test and what kind of attitudes they have will have an affect on the end result. The testing situation is something else to consider, the tests need to be designed to reflect different situations in which communication will be used. The technique of the test, different stages require different procedures, so design appropriate testing for each stage of development. Last, the testing procedures can have an affect on the end result. Even though testing takes time, it increases the chances that serious usability problems will be avoided.

There are three types of testing, text-based, expert-based, and user-based. Text-based tests are a range of local-level language, visual and design features. Conclusions are drawn from this and changes are done to improve the text’s accessibility and comprehensibility. Expert-based testing is useful for assessing technical accuracy and supporting evidence for the intended audience. It uses technical reviews by subject-matter experts, substantive editorial reviews and design reviews. User-based testing obtains information directly from users, which is more sufficient then text-based testing and expert-based testing.


Information that is collected from users as they read and use a text is called concurrent testing. It involves watching users’ behaviors as they perform a task. Another kind of concurrent testing is having users read and think aloud. This shows specific areas that are confusing or tasks that are difficult for users. Retrospective testing is information collected from users after they have finished using a text. Some methods are questionnaires, interviews, or focus groups.
There are 10 steps to consider before starting a testing process:
1. Goals- Come up with goals for your testing
2. Criticality- Decide what type of testing feedback you need
3. Constraints- Figure out constraints that you have to work with
4. Schedule- Build a time for testing into the schedule
5. Involvement- Make sure all key personnel understand the goals and cooperate
with the testing
6. Timing- Test products and texts are different points in development
7. Goodness of fit- Test procedures should be appropriate and relevant to the
goals
8. Ease of use- Test procedures must be easy for test participants to understand
9. Usable form- Manage the production of test data so usable results are
achieved
10. Updating- Test results will be used as part of the development and revision
process

You want to select users that fit the profile of your target audiences. Then you can implement the plan. This involves selecting test participants, developing test questions and introducing the rules and procedures to the participants. Then the test can be given. Once the test is finished you may review the results. Look at the amount of time it took the participants to complete tasks, or how many errors took place during certain tasks, or how often different test participants note the same usability issues.

Ensuring Accessibility

Accessibility is an important aspect of usability which focuses on providing access to information, especially to people who have disabilities. Technical communicators and professionals should promote information for all people. They need to consider the differences in users’ vision, hearing, cognition, and also take into consideration their economic, educational and physical environments. Seven principles that were developed for accessibility are:
Equitable use- design is useful to people with diverse abilities
Flexibility- Accommodates a wide range of individual preference and abilities
Simple and intuitive- Design is easy to understand
Perceptible information- Communication necessary information effectively to
users, regardless of condition or sensory abilities
Tolerance for error- Design minimizes hazards or unintended actions that may
occur
Low physical effort- Design can be used efficiently and comfortably with
minimum fatigue
Size and Space for approach- Appropriate size and space are provided, regardless
of user’s body size, posture or mobility

Lastly, accessibility often refers to American with Disabilities Act. So, this requires technology information of federal agencies, vendors, or contractors to have accessibility for people with disabilities, including their own employees.