Eyes on the user experience (user-testing websites with real people)

Presentation at Write Limited by Leif Roy and Annika Naschitzki from Optimal Usability 25 November 2011 Notes by Jo Orange

User testing basics

User testing can benefit your organization and save money. Most companies have a common development process which starts with systems > procedures > touchpoints > interactions > experiences. Optimal Usability advocates working from the outside in and goes from experiences down instead. Use the user-centred approach: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. understand the business needs understand the user needs generate design alternatives based on needs iterate and test to get well received products.

Observe common user interactions and analyse common themes; observe user behaviour including expressions and behaviour. Always test as early as possible, eg with prototypes (low fidelity testing using handdrawn prototypes where users test on paper and interact as if on a screen); medium fidelity still rough; refine up to high fidelity which can be interactive and clickable. Benefits real insight into users actual behaviour; subjective and anecdotal data; understand what works and what doesnt; understanding of users attitudes, feelings and motivations. This is not qualitative but quantitative data.

Eye tracking
You cannot move your eyes without moving attention. Eye tracking shows which elements a user pays visual attention to. Use eye tracking techniques to find out is a user notices something. It captures the effectiveness of an interaction design; can visualize what a users attention is drawn by; as a tool for observers of a user test. Eye tracking can add value to the user testing at any stage. Heatmap accumulated data of the focus of attention. Gazeplots this tells the story of the attention and how different the users are by combining many users paths of gazing at a screen.

Gazeplots show the sequence of attention, eg by plotting and numbering where a user looks. Helps to find out about users behaviour and preferences, ie whether they prefer to use search or navigation. Users are sometimes set a task but usually they are given a screen to look so the tester can see where they go. The usual length of time a user is asked to gaze for is about 20 seconds. 10-15 seconds are the most important for testing. Users scan rather then focus when something catches their attention, then they continue scanning. The animation of a gazeplot shows this very well. Hotspots are often seen on the navigation. Navigation gives users an overview of what is on your site. Users will go to the biggest item on the page. If the site is too busy (ie too much text or too much colour), they wont know where to look. The value of Eye Tracking gives you: deeper understanding of users actual behaviour insight into users subconscious or instinctive behaviour better understanding of why your design does or doesnt work evidential (quantitative) data User testing + Eye tracking = more complete understanding of the user experience. Less is more. The more people have to dig through heaps of information on a page, the more their attention is spread out and becomes random trying to find the important information. Eye tracking does have its limitations but it can complement other user testing. Limit the time you analyse, eg to 15 seconds as this could make the testing clearer. Often interpretation is involved in user testing, but it does go a long way to help analyse and highlight issues on your site. Just because someone looks at something for a long time, doesnt mean they like it. Could be theyre confused by it. The more people tested, the more reliable the results. Often there is more feedback and information from users from the low fidelity paper prototyping than from a more high fidelity view or interactive screen. Low fidelity testing can help iron out the big issues early on.