When thinking about user experiences with websites or software, what is the difference between capabilities and functions? Is there any difference at all? In software engineering, a function is code that takes inputs, processes them, and produces outputs (such as a math function). The word capability doesn’t have a formal definition, but it most often
Like pictures and pixels on a screen, words are a type of user interface. Complex language, like complex software, can lead to misunderstanding, so words should communicate effectively while being easy to understand. The solution, to paraphrase William Zinsser, is to use words that are simple and concise—a guideline that also applies to UX questionnaires.
It seems like every few years a new standardized UX measure comes along. Standardization of UX measurement is a good thing for researchers and practitioners. Having common methods and definitions helps with objectivity, generalization, economy, and professional communication. At MeasuringU, we pay a lot of attention to the continuing evolution of standardized UX measurement. The
We typically recommend small sample sizes (5–10) for conducting iterative usability testing meant to find and fix problems (formative evaluations). For benchmark or comparative studies, where the focus is on detecting differences or estimating population parameters (summative evaluations), we recommend using larger sample sizes (20–100+). Usability testing can be used to uncover problems and assess the
There are many ways to format rating scales. Recently we have explored Labeling neutral points Labeling all or some response options Altering the number of response options Comparing agreement vs. item-specific endpoint labels Each of these formatting decisions has a variety of opinions and research, both pro and con, in the scientific literature at large.
Human: Computer, can you recognize speech? Computer: I think you said, can you wreck a nice beach? Both the quality of synthesized speech and the capability of communicating with a computer using your voice have come a long way since the debut of this technology in the 1970s. One of the most famous synthetic voices
There’s no shortage of opinions about the Net Promoter Score. There’s nothing wrong with an opinion. It’s just better when there’s data backing it. Unfortunately, when it comes to opinions about the Net Promoter Score, especially how the underlying question is displayed, the opinions are often based on anecdotes and out-of-context “best practices.” At MeasuringU,
Who, as a person, doesn’t want to be desirable? And if you’re in the business of developing products or services, who doesn’t want those to be desirable? There is a deep satisfaction beyond the monetary rewards of providing something that people want (and of course, the money’s nice, too). While we’ve found wide interest in
We write extensively about standardized UX metrics such as the SUS, PSSUQ, and SUPR-Q. The main benefits of standardization include improved reliability, validity, sensitivity, objectivity, quantification, economy, communication, and norms. Even when standardized UX questionnaires are developed independently, they are influenced by earlier work, just like how UX itself is a new field built upon earlier
Small changes can have big impacts on rating scales. But to really know what the effects are, you need to test. Labels, number of points, colors, and item wording differences can often have unexpected effects on survey responses. In an earlier analysis, we compared the effects of using a three-point recommend item compared to an
