Tentative Website Usability Study

Tentative Website Usability Study

Introduction

The university website has multiple users, including administrators, students, lecturers, and other support staff. Therefore, the first step would be to identify users from which I will survey to get the essential feedback needed to analyze the usability. The survey will require different tools in the three stages of collection, recording, and analysis.

Collecting data and recording results

To be able to collect data on website usability, I have chosen different tools to investigate two website usability aspects: user interviews and general usability.  User interview tool – Google form – will be used to understand the impact of website design and layout on the user experience. I will send the forms to the users to fill and submit their responses online. One advantage of Google forms over other tools of data collection is it simplifies the analysis because it records and tallies the data (Gurnyak, 2018). The other tool that I will utilize is UsabilityHub software, which tests general website usability. UsabilityHub allows for analysis of all site activities, including; images that appeal most to the users, links that most users visit, and comments that site users leave (UsabiltyHub, 2020). To obtain the required data, I will invite the users to participate in the survey. Also, i will get the other necessary data from the Usability Hub panel.

Statistical tests for data analysis

I will use both quantitative and qualitative approaches to analyze the data on the university website usability. Quantitative methods that shall be employed include satisfaction ranking and error rate. Satisfaction ranking will describe the average times that the website users report satisfaction, while error rate will tell the number of times that users encounter similar errors in the site (Cunliffe et al., 2001). On the other hand, I will use qualitative approaches to identify the links that users visit most and the difficulty that they find with the different addresses (Hu & Chang, 2006).

Tasklist

Usability tasks are assignments given to an individual participant during usability testing. Tasks are activities; then, the participants will indulge in during the test. For my website usability testing, I will include the following functions:

1. A responsive website layout.

A good website user experience begins with responsive website design. If a website is non-responsive, users may be frustrated. The utilization of an appropriate layout will probably encourage visitors to stay on the university website longer, thus allowing them to utilize it properly. Also, a responsive design will allow users to access the information offered by the university more easily.

To determine whether the website layout is responsive enough, I will ask some users to do the following task:

• Step 1. Sign up/login onto the university website
• Step 2. Enter the homepage
• Step 3. Try navigating from page to page
• Step 4. Come back to the homepage

2. The visual hierarchy

A good website layout should feature simple but visually pleasing cues that will help users to navigate and understand the website. A functional hierarchy should enable users to keep their eyes on the areas that are of importance to them.

To determine whether the website’s visual hierarchy is appropriate, I will ask some users to do the following task:

• Step 1. Sign up/login onto the university website
• Step 2. Enter the homepage
• Step 3. Note the arrangement of the website’s buttons and navigation bars
• Step 4. Click on one of the buttons.
• Step 5. Navigate through using this button to the final page.
• Step 6. Return to the homepage.

3. The site search function

A search function is a tool that enhances user experience. Since the university website is significant in terms of size, new users may find it challenging to locate a site or an item within the university website. A site function thus enables users to discover everything on the website.

To determine whether the search function operates effectively, I will ask some users to do the following task:

• Step 1. Sign up/login onto the university website
• Step 2. Locate the search function in the homepage
• Step 3. Enter a few words in the search button
• Step 4. Try locating a page on the website using the search button
• Step 5. Try finding a material using the search button
• Step 6. Return to the homepage

4. Simple form entry

A good website allows users to fill out forms. These forms may be for data collection for feedback mechanisms or users interaction. Form entry features should be as simple as possible. Instruction fields should be unnecessary and straightforward steps should not exist.

To determine whether the form entry function operates effectively, I will ask some users to do the following task:

• Step 1. Sign up/login onto the university website
• Step 2. Enter the homepage
• Step 3. Using navigation bars, locate any form entry feature
• Step 4. Type a few words into the form
• Step 5. Try to send the entered data
• Step 6. Return to the homepage.

5. The design and colour choices

A good website design should highlight the key features of the site and allow users to find what to do quickly. Website colour makes the site look more welcoming, professional and cohesive. Colour choices will also help users to navigate through the website pages efficiently.

To determine whether the design and colour choices are appropriate, I will ask some users to do the following task:

• Step 1. Sign up/login onto the university website
• Step 2. Enter the homepage
• Step 3. Note the design and colour of the homepage
• Step 4. Navigate through other pages, and note their designs and colours
• Step 5. Note the colours of the buttons as well.
• Step 6. Return to the homepage.

6. Homepage navigation best practices

A bright and logical navigation menu will offer new users a good sense of everything that the site provides.

To determine whether the homepage navigation function operates effectively, I will ask some users to do the following task:

• Step 1. Sign up/login onto the university website
• Step 2. Enter the homepage
• Step 3. Identify and note the navigation buttons
• Step 4. Try using these buttons to navigate through the pages
• Step 5. Return to the homepage.

References

Cunliffe, D., Kritou, E., & Tudhope, D. (2001). Usability evaluation for Museum web sites. Museum Management and Curatorship, 19(3), 229-252. https://doi.org/10.1080/09647770100201903

Gurnyak, I. (2018). Using cloud services, Google forms, and Microsoft forms in the teaching process. Physical and Mathematical Education, 16(2), 40-45. https://doi.org/10.31110/2413-1571-2018-016-2-008

Hu, G., & Chang, K. H. (2006). Web site usability, usability requirements specification & usability evaluation. Proceedings of the 44th annual southeast regional conference on – ACM-SE 44. https://doi.org/10.1145/1185448.1185640

UsabilityHub. (2020, April 2). An introduction to design surveying. UsabilityHub | User Testing and Usability Research Platform. https://usabilityhub.com/guides/design-surveying