Using Characters to Engage and Teach Novice Web Users: A Case Study

Starpoint Solutions was contracted by a major North American bank to design, develop, and usability test a series of five Web-based, interactive lessons teaching low- to middle-income people the basics of money management and financial independence in a classroom setting. The target audience is expected to have little or no experience with the Web or computers. Each of the five lessons had a character guide associated with it. These guides provided personal commentary from their fictional financial situations and were often integrated into interactive games and exercises. Subjective findings agreed with previous research, which has shown that the use of characters in user interfaces can greatly enhance the user experience ? especially with people who may lack confidence and a sense of control. These traits were observed in usability testing participants and are expected to be common among novice end users. Keywords Usability, usability testing, human factors, education, training, char...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2001
• Where: WWW
• Authors: Andrea H. Berman
• Keywords: Internet Technology, Keywords Usability, Novice End Users, Usability Testing Participants, WWW 2001