Abstract
An Internet questionnaire survey was conducted in order to explore whether web users’ and web designers’ conceptions of usability differ, and whether these conceptions are encompassed within conventional HCI usability. The primary results of the survey were that: 1 The users and designers had different viewpoints. For example, the users wanted web sites that provide diverse functions and information, whereas the designers thought web sites should be designed thematically. Similarly, the users valued information content over visual design, the designers vice versa. 2 Usability goals, such as stickiness (i.e., a web site’s ability to engender user attachment to it), attractiveness and likeability were found to be as important to web site users as conventional HCI usability aspects, such as learnability, etc. 3 These attributes were found to be associated to specific web site features, such as navigation. 4 Users’ were found to have very limited appreciation of the full capabilities of their favourite and most used web sites. These results indicate that web site usability differs in important respects from conventional HCI usability and suggest that new evaluation methods are needed to accommodate the needs of web site users. This paper describes the internet questionnaire, the results obtained and the design and testing of a new web site evaluation method designed to both encompass an expanded conception of web site usability and to bridge the gap between designers’ and users’ conceptions of web site usability.
Citation
Scrivener, S., Yang, C., and Woodcock, A. (2004) Beyond Desktop Usability: Web Site Usability and its Evaluation., in Redmond, J., Durling, D. and de Bono, A (eds.), Futureground - DRS International Conference 2004, 17-21 November, Melbourne, Australia. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2004/researchpapers/78
Beyond Desktop Usability: Web Site Usability and its Evaluation.
An Internet questionnaire survey was conducted in order to explore whether web users’ and web designers’ conceptions of usability differ, and whether these conceptions are encompassed within conventional HCI usability. The primary results of the survey were that: 1 The users and designers had different viewpoints. For example, the users wanted web sites that provide diverse functions and information, whereas the designers thought web sites should be designed thematically. Similarly, the users valued information content over visual design, the designers vice versa. 2 Usability goals, such as stickiness (i.e., a web site’s ability to engender user attachment to it), attractiveness and likeability were found to be as important to web site users as conventional HCI usability aspects, such as learnability, etc. 3 These attributes were found to be associated to specific web site features, such as navigation. 4 Users’ were found to have very limited appreciation of the full capabilities of their favourite and most used web sites. These results indicate that web site usability differs in important respects from conventional HCI usability and suggest that new evaluation methods are needed to accommodate the needs of web site users. This paper describes the internet questionnaire, the results obtained and the design and testing of a new web site evaluation method designed to both encompass an expanded conception of web site usability and to bridge the gap between designers’ and users’ conceptions of web site usability.