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Explanations and Definitions

Usability and User Experience

How easily can a person do what they need to with the product?
A product that enables its user to conduct their task effectively and efficiently has reached the pinnacle of Quality Assurance: Usability. When users are also satisfied with the experience emotionally, physically, etc. it can be deemed a good user experience as well.

The Usability Body of Knowledge defines usability as:

"A measure of the degree to which a product can be used by specified users or groups to achieve specific goals of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of use. Factors affecting this measure include learnability, readability, aesthetics, safety and error frequency. Another significant factor is keeping cost-effectiveness within acceptable levels for human cost measured in terms of tiredness, discomfort, embarrassment, frustration and personal effort. Keeping cost-effectiveness within acceptable levels increases user satisfaction, which in turn causes continued and enhanced usage of the system."

User Research and Market Research

User research is the study of individual people in their "natural" environments - where they live, work, shop and play - both physically and virtually. User research is conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of who the users are and what their needs are.

Market research is the collection and analysis of information about groups of consumers conducted either through analysis of data or through research techniques such as focus groups. Market research is conducted to determine the level of interest in new products, the feasibility of a new business, and to help develop strategies to improve customer service and distribution.

Both of these methods can be used in conjunction with development of a new product or experience or for iteration of an existing product or experience. Neither of these methods is completely without bias as the information in both cases must be interpreted by a human and then represented to their intended audience.

Competitive Research and Reviews

Competitive research and reviews are done either when a new product or experience is being developed or when an existing product or experience needs to be iterated. Midwest Research

Ethnography's Influence

User research has its roots in the study of ethnography. Ethnography, according to the UPA Usability BoK Glossary, is "the process of gathering information about users and tasks directly from users in their normal work, home or leisure environment." Ethnography studies usually last between a few weeks to many years and require the researcher to immerse themselves in the culture and to live among the people they are observing.

We take many of the methods that ethnographer's use, but reduce the time involved to usually just a few hours and up to a few weeks per person being observed.

Number of Participants

The number of participants recruited for both research and testing has been a hotly debated subject for many years within the usability professionals community. Midwest Research works to determine how many user groups you have, and then works within your budget to make sure as many as possible from each primary user group are represented.

Midwest Research recommends at least two iterative rounds of testing during the early stages of development for best results. We recommend at least eight participants per primary user group for both research and testing (time and budget allowing). When iterative testing is conducted, fewer users may be used during each iterative test.

We encourage the inclusion of people with disabilities when usability testing with an accessible, high-fi prototype or finished product. Redesign efforts should include a short round of usability testing to set a baseline before starting design.

User Experience Related Organizations

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