Usability

Why Usability?

• Usability Testing in Lab or Remote
• Click Tracking
• Expert Analysis

Article Picture Says More Than A Thousand Words - Photographs As Trust Builders In E-Commerce Websites. Steinbrück, U., Schaumburg, H., Duda, S., Krüger, T. (CHI, 2002).

eye square Media Lab

eye square has at its fingertips a fully-equipped media lab designed for data collection. In this lab selected test persons of a target group are invited to test websites or software.

Usability problems are analyzed using in-depth interviews and behavior observation (video-taping of tester and screen). You can observe the usability testings through a one way mirror, watch the tester on a digital projected image and discuss the outcome with us.

Our lab is equipped with:

International Usability Testing

eye square has many years of experience in international usability testing. We work regularly for international clients. In our labs in UK, France, Italy and Spain we conduct European usability studies and deliver you the complete data evaluation and cross cultural comparisons with interpretations.

International Usability Testing "at Home"

For our international clients we offer usability testings in our Berlin labs with simultaneous translation and complete data evaluation in English language including translated video cuts.

We look forward seeing you in our Berlin lab! We take care of your staying in Berlin and show you the most beautiful places in the city.

Usability Test in the Lab

Task-Oriented Usability Testing

• Qualitative Data
  Thinking aloud, interviews, behavioral data & video recording
  
• Quantitative Data
  Ratings, performance data, eye tracking data, card sorting, System Acceptance questionnaire

• Are the users able to work with the system effectively and intuitively?
• Does the users' mental model of the system fit what the site developer had in mind?
• Which factors determine the satisfaction of the user with the system?
  
  

i2 In-Depth Check

• Who are your users?
• What are their needs and expectations?
• What does their buy or work-flow look like?

Our psychologists carry out in-depth interviews with your target users. Projective methods allow us to discover how your user works and lives.

From this data we can determine how your site ought to be structured so that you can design it successfully.

Usability Testing Remote

Besides lab based studies for interaction research eye square is offering a whole range of remote study concepts. The participants are not invited to our labs, as they are taking part remotely.

We offer online surveys, and task based remote usability testings. Our software is recording the user interaction and the clicks. We visualize the online behavior for you.

Direct comparisons of results from remote studies and lab studies show that the results are equal.

Advantages of Remote Studies

• Technical factors are taken into account (screen resolution, speed)
• Social context is taken into account (e.g. internet usage in the living room, together with other members of the family)
• Large sample sizes are efficiently managed

Disadvantages of Remote Studies

• No interviews!
• No direct observation of behavior
• No eye tracking

Usability Testing with Eye Tracking

eye square is conducting usability testings with eye tracking. You receive picture-in-picture videos of the participants, with eye gaze and mouse. You get videos that show the attention on your website (density distribution). Especially on starting pages an analysis of eye movements is very important, as a "gaze optimized" starting page with optimized user addressing is crucial for success.

Video with Eye Tracking on Webpage (630 KB)

Article Eyetracking and its application in usability and media research. Schiessl, M., Duda, S., Thölke, A., Fischer, R. (2003).

• What does the participant look at first?
• Which products are noticed and which are not?
• How is the gaze path structured?
• How is the gaze density distributed?

Here you see different applications and types of evaluation with our analysis software:

The eye square Visualizer (18,5 MB)

Interface Branding

eye square combines acceptance and usability measurement with the inquiry of branding information for the evaluation of websites.

Integrated examination of usability and brand
Usability and brand are two sides of the same coin, and it is crucial to integrate both factors. Brand accounts for why a user first visits a website. Usability determines whether the user stays at the site, and whether he is also able to complete transactions successfully.

Demands on Interface Branding
An interaction with an online system should be problem-free and enjoyable. The system's user interface should be distinct from that of your competitors and reinforce customer loyalty. It must, however, conform to software and web standards that users have come to expect.

Every successful interaction contributes to the success of the brand. There is, therefore, a reciprocal relationship between these elements and this is called interface branding.

Linguistic Analysis

The word choice on a website is closely linked to site usability. A complete linguistic analysis of the texts on a website enhances the results of a usability test. You will receive suggestions that allow you to improve your website without much effort – by simply changing the text!

eye square experts conduct linguistic analysis of your website:

Pragmatics — The signs' relation to action
Semantics— The meaning of the signs
Syntax — Positioning of the signs

The aim is finding an overall story or metaphor (narrative) appealing to users' psychological needs and making the use of the website easier.

Usability Monitoring

• User Tracking
  With click-tracking and traffic logs, you have access to the behavior of thousands of real users (mouse-clicks, mouse moves, scrolling and text entered). Which links are used and which are ignored? How many users are there at a particular time and place, and how long are they there for? Where do users come from, where do they go?

• Online Quick Check
  Online survey measuring usability, quick design checks and questions regarding favored content can all be quickly answered by hundreds of users with our Online Quick Check.

• Usability Testing Remote
  Selected users carry out usability testing at home, perform tasks and fill out questionnaires. Selected subjects use the website at home and solve certain tasks. Systematical experiments with varying designs are possible. Time-line clicks, mouse movements, scrolling and entries are recorded.

• Usability Testing in the Lab
  Classic usability testing in the lab can yield comparable results under controlled conditions. Interviews and behavior observation are possible. Direct interaction between user and the interviewer allows for detailed usability analysis.

• i2 In-Depth Check in the Lab
  Our psychologists carry out in-depth interviews with your target users to discover motivations of usage and psychological needs.

• User in Real Context
  Observation of users at work or at home during everyday use of software or websites.

• Expert Analysis
  Experts are analysing your website along software ergonomic and linguistic criteria.
  

Usability Monitoring Overview

Sample Size		User Methods		Depth, Effort
User Tracking	Online Quick Check	Usability Testing Remote	Usability Testing in the Lab	i2 In-Depth Check in the Lab	User in Real Context
• Behavior	• Questionnaire	• Behavior • Questionnaire	• Interview • Observation • Eye Tracking • Behavior • Questionnaire	• In-depth ...psychological ...interview	• Interview • Observation • Contextual Data • Behavior
		Expert Methods
		Usability Analysis	Linguistic Analysis
		• Expert Review	• Expert Review

We are testing as well terminals and mobile applications!

Article Mobile Usability. Duda, S., Schießl, M. & Hess, J.-M. (2002).