User Scenarios and Usability Goals for Information Architecture

1. Information Architecture Week 3

2. CALENDAR

3. LESSON • User Scenarios • Look at examples • Usability Goals & Checklists • Goals Checklist (.pdf) from our text: • http://books.elsevier.com/companions/9781558606586/pictures/3-2.pdf • General Checklist (.pdf) from our text: • http://books.elsevier.com/companions/9781558606586/pictures/12-1.pdf • See our class web page for an abbreviated version in Microsoft Word (.doc) format.

4. QUIZ • Please put your books away and get ready for this week’s quiz.

5. EXAMPLE • About Forrester - http://www.forrester.com • Forrester Research (Nasdaq: FORR) is an independent technology and market research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice about technology's impact on business and consumers. For 22 years, Forrester has been a thought leader and trusted advisor, helping global clients lead in their markets through its research, consulting, events, and peer-to-peer executive programs. • Forrester Research: Web Site Review • http://www.forrester.com/Products/Consulting/WSR • The Forrester Scorecard – a heuristic evaluation • Value. Content relevance, freshness, and completeness; ease of purchasing functions. • Navigation. Usability, organization, and clarity; degree to which the site helps users find what they want. • Presentation. Interactivity, personalization, and search engine. • Trust. Contextual help, security, speed, reliability, and recovery from errors.

6. EXAMPLE • Forrester “Quick Take” test • Are navigation elements easily recognizable at a glance? • Does the site use language that’s easily understood by target users? • Is text legible? • Do menu categories effectively set user expectations? • Are the interface elements consistent? • Does the site provide location cues? • The Full Forrester WSR test • Sneak peek

7. THE PROCESS Requirements Analysis Conceptual Design Mock-ups & Prototypes Production Launch • Creative Brief • User Scenarios • Usability Checklist • Client Pitch Document (w/ schedule & budget) • Site Map (existing & proposed) • Feature spec & tech. spec documents

8. Forrester “Quick Take” test Are navigation elements easily recognizable at a glance? Does the site use language that’s easily understood by target users? Is text legible? Do menu categories effectively set user expectations? Are the interface elements consistent? Does the site provide location cues? Grading scale: +2 +1 0 -1 -2 IN-CLASS EXERCISE

9. ASSIGNMENT Due :: Week 4 • Three Detailed User Scenarios • Assignment:Usethe preliminary research that you gathered while writing your creative brief to create three detailed user scenarios. Each user scenario should include the following: • User Profile • Name, age, gender, location, education, family, hobbies, occupation, income, work hours, disabilities, computer & computer skill level, and anything else that you think may be important. • User Goal/Task • What is the user’s task and/or activity? • Identify exactly what the user wants to achieve from visiting the site. • Site Interaction Episode • A very detailed description of how the user goes about trying to achieve their user goal as stated above. • How does the user look for it? (search, browse, bookmark, etc.) • Does the user find it? (he/she should probably fail, since we are working on a redesign) • What frustrates him or her? • Purpose/Objective: • To clearly define your target audience (users). • To identify user goals and objectives • To identify specific user goals and current site problems for an eventual checklist and rationale for future design decisions • Format:8.5”x11” .doc (Microsoft word document). Post a link to the word document on your class web page before class begins. • Reading:Read chapter 2 of Steve Krug’s Don’t Make Me Think • http://www.sensible.com/chapter.html