Blogs

Many researchers are familiar with the Hawthorne Effect in which people act differently when observed. It was named when researchers found workers at the Hawthorne Works factory performed better not because of increased lighting but because they were being watched. This observer effect happens not only with people but also with particles. In physics, the mere act of observing a phenomenon (like subatomic particle movement)

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The System Usability Scale (SUS) is the most widely used questionnaire for measuring the perception of usability. It’s been around for more than 30 years. While its original term “system” has fallen somewhat out of favor, its usage has not—with thousands of citations in the literature. The system can be anything from business software, consumer software, websites, mobile apps, or hardware. With such wide usage

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Surveys often suffer from having too many questions. Many items are redundant or don’t measure what they intend to measure. Even worse, survey items are often the result of “design by committee” with more items getting added over time to address someone’s concerns. Let's say an organization uses the following items in a customer survey: Satisfaction Importance Usefulness Ease of use Happiness Delight Net Promoter

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We conduct unmoderated UX studies, surveys, and various forms of online research every week at MeasuringU. Part of our process for delivering effective research is spending enough time up front on issues that affect the quality of results. Here are our nine recommendations for conducting better online research. Use a Study Script A study script is similar to a blueprint for online research or prototype

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Prototypes are an effective method for incorporating early and frequent user feedback into the design process. Even low-fidelity prototypes have been found to be good predictors of usability problems and perceptions of ease compared to fully functioning products. We test client prototypes just about every week here at MeasuringU using our research platform MUIQ. They range from prototypes for major consumer brands to internal facing

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Many researchers are familiar with the SUS, and for good reason. It’s the most commonly used and widely cited questionnaire for assessing the perception of the ease of using a system (software, website, or interface). Despite being short—10 items—the SUS has a fair amount of redundancy given it only measures one construct (perceived usability). While some redundancy is good to improve reliability, shorter questionnaires are

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UX benchmarking is an effective method for understanding how people use and think about an interface, whether it’s for a website, software, or mobile app. Benchmarking becomes an essential part of a plan to systematically improve the user experience. A lot is involved in conducting an effective benchmark. I’m covering many of the details in a 4-week course sponsored by the UXPA this October 2017.

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Facilitating a usability test is a skill. With enough of the right practice you’ll get better at facilitating and running more effective usability test sessions. A solid foundation in both the theory and practical applications of facilitating a usability test will aid you in becoming a solid facilitator. To help, here are ten resources for both beginners and intermediate usability test facilitators. 1. Read about

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Measurement is at the heart of scientific knowledge. It’s also key to understanding and systematically improving the user experience. But numbers alone won’t solve all your problems. You need to understand what’s driving your metrics. While taking the pulse or blood pressure of a patient will provide metrics that can indicate good or poor health, physicians need more to understand what’s affecting those numbers. The

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Task completion is one of the fundamental usability metrics. It’s the most common way to quantify the effectiveness of an interface. If users can’t do what they intend to accomplish, not much else matters. While that may seem like a straightforward concept, actually determining whether users are completing a task often isn’t as easy. The ways to determine task completion will vary based on the

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