Vipnet usability testing, education and consulting

Solution

The scope of the projects and challenges we accepted and described in the previous section was quite wide and the applied solutions varied greatly. Here’s the summary of key solutions and approach we undertook to deliver the best possible service both for client and their users.

1) We prepared and executed a large-scale usability operation. The first phase was an expert heuristics-based usability review and presentation of findings. After that we recruited test participants and performed user testing based on tests and walk-throughs.

We used advanced screening and recording techniques and captured all mouse movements, verbal communications, facial expressions, eye focus and other forms of non-verbal communication. The users were located in our testing lab with a testing moderator, and in a separate room connected via video link were client representatives and UX Passion’s usability consultants, who followed the tests in real time and discreetly sent their suggestions to the moderator where there was a need for further clarification.

After the tests and their analysis we prepared a report with suggestions for how to improve the systems. We prepared visual style guides and a “visual playbook” to help developers and engineers implement our suggestions.

A similar approach was used for IPTV system evaluation as well: we conducted expert usability review and analysis in two tiers. The first tier was focused on information architecture, interaction design and the overall functionality of the system for the end users. The second tier examined visual style, language and metaphors, identifying design flaws and inconsistencies within the user experience.

Almost the same approach was used for the client’s website, with a total of 26 users testing their website through several different scenarios over the course of six days using our proprietary UX Passion usability methodology.

Again, building on previous experiences we used our knowledge and experience for the IVR system usability testing project, but on somewhat smaller scale. We mapped user’s cognitive walk-throughs and prepared tests as well as a prototype of a new IVR system and recorded users’ behaviours and responses, as well as error rates and number of other, crucial usability metrics.

2) It was important to make sure that our solutions were not left in a vacuum after the series of tests and that VIPnet’s team had enough knowledge to at least assess basic UX needs.

In order to accommodate those needs we ran a number of tailored training courses for their key staff members. The focus of these workshops was on future efforts to improve the usability of the company’s website and platforms, covering all major aspects of usability from key principles, research and monitoring methods and approaches, SUS scores, heuristics, user testing and so on.

After the training days, every group had a half-day workshop where we compared internal usability findings with the results from our previous usability study.