Getting the right design and the design right

We present a study comparing usability testing of a single interface versus three functionally equivalent but stylistically distinct designs. We found that when presented with a single design, users give significantly higher ratings and were more reluctant to criticize than when presented with the same design in a group of three. Our results imply that by presenting users with alternative design solutions, subjective ratings are less prone to inflation and give rise to more and stronger criticisms when appropriate. Contrary to our expectations, our results also suggest that usability testing by itself, even when multiple designs are presented, is not an effective vehicle for soliciting constructive suggestions about how to improve the design from end users. It is a means to identify problems, not provide solutions. Author Keywords Design, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Evaluation, Methods, User Centered Design, Participatory Design. ACM Classification Keywords H5.m. Information inter...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2006
• Where: CHI
• Authors: Maryam Tohidi, William Buxton, Ronald Baecker, Abigail Sellen
• Keywords: AUTHOR KEYWORDS Design, CHI 2006, Human Computer Interaction, Study Comparing Usability, Usability Testing