Methods Mashup 1
A method wherein a researcher asks a user some predefined questions and some questions that are not created in advance
What is a semi-structured user interview?
A laboratory study wherein a researcher observes a user completing tasks
What is usability testing?
Used to uncover problems, identify opportunities, and understand behavior and/or preferences.
Both components of problem solving, one involves generating ideas and the other refining/reflecting/analyzing/structuring ideas
What are divergent and convergent thinking?
Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform and industry conventions.
What is Consistency and Standards?
The best designs carefully prevent problems from occurring. Either eliminate error-prone conditions, or check for them and present users with a confirmation option before they commit to the action.
What is Error Prevention?
A method wherein a researcher asks a user questions created in advance. All candidates are asked the same questions in the same order
What is a structured interview?
A survey is a form of structured inquiry wherein a user answers a set of pre-defined questions independently.
Systematically collecting reactions to an idea, which is represented in some way users can react to (e.g., a wireframe)
What is concept testing?
Usually done with low-fidelity prototypes to determine product-market fit.
A method wherein a user documents regular activities as they occur and a researcher analyzes the documentation
What are diary studies?
Can give contextual insights about real-time user behaviors and needs, helping define UX feature requirements.
Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no error codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.
What is Help Users Recognize and Recover from Errors?
Shortcuts hidden from novice users may speed up interaction for the expert user such that the design can cater to both inexperienced and experienced users. Allow users to tailor frequent actions.
What is Flexibility and Efficiency of Use?
Evaluating a user experience by using metrics to gauge its relative performance against a meaningful standard
What is benchmarking?
An experimental method in which two versions of a webpage or app are compared against each other to determine which performs better
What is A/B testing?
A method wherein a group of 5-10 users are brought together to discuss issues and concerns about the features of a product
What are focus groups?
Best used to identify group dynamics.
Users often perform actions by mistake. They need a clearly marked "emergency exit" to leave the unwanted action without having to go through an extended process.
What is User Control and Freedom?
The design should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within a reasonable amount of time.
What is Visibility of System Status?
One involves asking questions in situ (in their natural environment) and the other involves primarily observing users in situ, often over longer periods of time
What is the difference between contextual inquiry and ethnography? These are both considered field studies. The key benefit of field studies is the opportunity to observe.
Can reveal a lot about what users are doing, but provides no information about why users are doing it
What are behavioral analytics?
Actively involving all stakeholders (e.g. employees, partners, citizens, end users) in the design process to help ensure the result meets their needs and is usable
What is participatory design or co-design?
It’s best if the system doesn’t need any additional explanation. However, it may be necessary to provide documentation to help users understand how to complete their tasks.
What is Help and Documentation?
Minimize the user's memory load by making elements, actions, and options visible. Information required to use the design (e.g. field labels or menu items) should be visible or easily retrievable when needed.
What is Recognition Rather than Recall?
One focuses on which aspects of a design work well or not and why. The other focuses on how well a design performs.
What is formative versus summative evaluation?
A way to mitigate the limitations of any individual research method
What is triangulation accomplished with mixed methods?
A method wherein one or more evaluators work through a series of tasks and ask a set of questions from the perspective of the user
What is a cognitive walkthrough?
Generally conducted by a UX expert, but can be conducted with an SME and focus is generally on a new user's experience.
The design should speak the users' language. Use words, phrases, and concepts familiar to the user and reflect information in a natural and logical order.
What is System-reality Match?
Interfaces should not contain information which is irrelevant or rarely needed. Every extra unit of information competes with the relevant units of information and diminishes their visibility.
What is Aesthetic and Minimalistic Design?