Exercise on Writing Recommendations: Submitted answers

1. Application: Currency Converter

Test result: 3 out of 5 test participants first tried to enter the initial amount in the top text field

Submitted recommendations

• Finding: Users proceed in logical top-to-bottom order, but interface is not working in top-to-bottom fashion. Primary input box is at bottom, while top text field looks like an input, but is actually the results field.
  Recommendation: Move "amount" field to top and output field to bottom.
• Finding: Users are confused by the placement of the results. People expect to put the amount they want to convert first; therefore the first textbox should receive this first amount.
  Recommendation: Place the results at the bottom and move text fields next to currency selections.
• Problem: It is unclear which text field the user should enter the amount to be converted because a lack of clear labeling for the application text fields. IN addition, the user expected that the first text field encountered was the one which should be used.
  Recommendation: The output should be displayed as a read-only field. The order of the fields should be input > conversion type > output, to follow existing mental models. The labels should be clarified to provide action-oriented wording.
• Problem/Motivation: A majority of participants could not determine where to type the amount for the calculation.
  Recommendations: 1. Do not display the results in a text box. Users currently try to type the conversion amount in the results text box. If only one text box is visible then users will know to type there. 2. Move the amount text box to the top and put the results below the controls. This would be a more logical order for the controls.
2. Applicaton: CampusConnect

Test result: when trying to find what sociology courses were offered next quarter, 4 out of 7 test participants first selected "Schedule of Classes." Of the 4, only 1 eventually scrolled to the sociology listings from this selection. The other 3 returned to the main menu to look elsewhere.

Submitted recommendations

• Finding: Terminology "Search for Classes" and "Schedule of Classes" are too similar and "Schedule of Classes" is not descriptive enough. User probably expects a list of classes, not a list of colleges and schools.
  Recommendation: Clarify language used for the link "Schedule of Classes". Possibly change to "Schedule by College".
• Finding: The user wants to browse the sociology classes and the term "search" does not appear to match this goal.
  Recommendation: Rename "search for classes" to "search/browse for classes". Link "schedule of classes" from the search/browse page and indicate that it is a PDF.
• Problem: The Schedule of Classes link displayed a list of several course lists to choose from rather than a list of all classes (as the label indicated). The user is required to navigate through multiple levels to access the schedule of classes. The initial options list does not indicate that there will be multiple steps involved or that it was complex.
  Recommendation: Allow the user to narrow course lists before viewing the schedule of classes. Potentially separate lists for graduate course and undergraduate course. Add a description of what the link will provide or clarify the label of the link. Separating the links on the page may help differentiate the two class finding tasks.
• Problem/Motivation: The "Schedule of Classes" and "Search for Classes" pages are redundant, confusing, and difficult to use.
  Recommendations: 1. Remove the "Schedule of Classes" link and pages as the information provided is not readable and users are very unsatisfied with it. Improve the "Search for Classes" functionality (See Exercise 4).
3. Application: web browser that opens another window directly on top of original window.

Test result: when attempting to return to a previous page, all 5 users attempted to click on the back button.

Submitted recommendations

• Finding: Users do not realize a new window is being opened on top of original window.
  Recommendation: Browser could have more obvious animation that a new window is opening. Possibly open the new window offset from the original so overlapping is evident. Or, maybe open the link in a new tab instead of a new window.
• Finding: Users do not realize or do not remember that a new page has opened.
  Recommendation: Offset the new page.
• Problem: It is not clear that a new window has opened so the appearance is that the back button has been disabled.
  Recommendation: Include an indication that a new browser window will open when clicking the link. Ensure that the size of the browser is smaller than the original browser. Open the new page in the existing browser window.
• Problem/Motivation: When a new browser window pops up directly over the existing window, users get confused when trying to go back to the previous screen.
  Recommendations: 1. Open the window in a new tab instead of a new window. Users will then be able to see the tab at the top of the screen and realize to go back to the previous screen they can click the other tab. 2. If the functionality allows, open the new page in the current window rather than in a popup. 3. Alternatively, if a popup must be used, make it smaller than the existing window so that users can see that the new page is in a popup window.
4. Applicaton: CampusConnect

Test result: when using the "Search for Classes" to find graduate psychology courses, the 3 of 4 test users clicked on the (irrelevant) Liberal Studies Requirement menu. On average, test users spent 4.6 seconds reviewing the options for this menu.

Submitted recommendations

• Finding: Users attempt to fill in all options in their search even though the Liberal Studies Requirement field is not relevant for graduate students.
  Recommendation: If "Graduate" is chosen, remove all fields that are not applicable to graduate students. (in this case, "Liberal Studies Requirement" should be removed)
• Finding: Users don't realize options do not apply to them because they are still active.
  Recommendation: If "graduate" is selected, remove the "Liberal Studies Requirement Menu"
• Problem: The user was looking for graduate courses which do not have a liberal studies requirements. This caused some confusion, especially since no required field indicators were used for the form.
  Recommendation: Remove or disable the Liberal Studies Requirement field when graduate courses is selected.
• Problem/Motivation: The search options in the "Search for Classes" functionality are too numerous and confusing. Users spend an excessive amount time looking at the search options.
  Recommendations: 1. Improve the "Search for Classes" by setting default search criteria to selections that the user will likely select. For example, if it is currently October 2008, set the term to Winter 2008-2009. 2. Do not display search options that are irrelevant for the current user. For example, if the user is an HCI graduate student, do not display the Liberal Studies Requirement dropdown.