evaluation plan and usability goals -- HCI Group Project

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Date Posted: 14:00:50 08/01/02 Thu
Author: Nishita Vora
Subject: evaluation plan and usability goals

Usability Goals:

The final goal is to develop an MP3 player for people in the age group 55 � 80 years. This customer group desires to have compact, light-weight, easy to use and carry, portable players that will allow them to listen to CD, radio and a mix of music. They exhibited strong preference for push buttons that are clearly marked about the function they perform.

Our team has chalked out the following specific usability goals:

Size of the Player: Compact for portability
Material: Plastic for light weight feature and durability
Easy to carry: Provision of a belt clip to slide the player into the belt line
Limited feature set: The player will play CD, radio and MP3 music. No other additional features will be provided.
Ease of use:
� Besides the above features, the goal is to provide an interface that is easy to learn. This means, using icons that user has used in the past to do tasks on the music and electronic devices they currently possess.

� Specifically, the layout of the buttons should also be planned, such that the users will not find it difficult to understand their functionality and users do not have to hunt for the buttons.

� Provide a bigger, clearly lit display screen.

� Downloading music from pc to the player should be made easy.

Evaluation Plan and Usability Goals

We have described the task analysis steps for some simple tasks involved in using the player. We wish to test how the user performs these tasks and evaluate the design based on the differences between how the user performs vs. the following benchmarks that we want to set up for these tasks using time and the number of erroneous attempts made in the process of accomplishing the task.

Task 1: Switching to Radio AM band and a particular station
This task involves turning the player ON first. If and when it is turned ON, then, one must locate the button marked AM/FM and press the AM half of this button. Then to tune to a particular station, one must locate the tune button at the top wall of the player on the same side as the AM/FM button and press it one or more times until the desired station is reached. To check whether the desired station has been connected, look at the display screen.

Acceptable number of errors: 1

Description of Anticipated Error: If the user presses FM instead of AM. This error is easily reversible and may sometimes be a cause of small size of the button or accidental.

Acceptable Time Limit: 20 � 30 seconds for the first time user and less in subsequent attempts.

Task 2: Adjusting Volume Control
This task involves looking for the volume button and then pressing the side marked �+� or �-� to increase or decrease it respectively. It optionally involves looking at the display screen to see the digital value of the level of volume. The button is located at the same place as in most players available in the market, to the left wall of the player and is easy to use since it is clearly marked.

Acceptable Number of Errors: 1

Description of Anticipated Error: Accidental pressing of the wrong side of the volume button.

Acceptable Time-Limit: 10 seconds or less

Task 3: Scrolling through a list of songs
This task involves pressing the menu button and reading the display. On the display screen locate the words �Display All� and then select this option by pressing �Select� button (not shown currently in the design figures). Wait for the list to appear and then use navigation bar buttons to go up or down.

This may require that the user will have to stop for some time to go through this process.

Acceptable Number of Errors: 2

Description of Anticipated Errors:

a) Using the Navigation bar buttons directly without pressing the Menu button.

b) Trying to use the forward and reverse buttons to navigate.

Acceptable Time-Limit: 45seconds to a minute for the first time users

Task 4: Skip the current track
This task involves pressing the : or 9 to skip to a next track or back up. The hope is that since the analogy to a CD-player can be drawn immediately, this should be a fairly simple task.

Acceptable Number of Errors: 0

Acceptable Time-Limit: less than 10 seconds

Task 5: Download music from a PC file to the player

This task involves reasonable technical expertise. It involves connecting the cable to the PC, turning the PC on if it is off, and expertise in the knowledge of transferring files. The user must also learn how to transfer MP3 files to the player. To get this task accomplished the user will have to read the manual the first time around. Acceptable

Acceptable Time-Limit: 15 minutes

Anticipated Errors: [we�ll just have to wait and see this one]

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