 |
 |
||
Links & More
 |
Print version |
Related Links |
|
 |
User Days (new version) |
 |
Resources – Overview |
|
Article List – Overview |
Background Links |
|
|
SAP's Design Process |
User Days
By Jörg Beringer, Stephen Corbett, and Günter Schmidt, SAP AG
This paper is outdated.
Abstract
The User Day is an economical and efficient user-centered method to check the design of a product. The objective is to identify possibilities for improvement by direct cooperation between developers, user interface designers and end users.
Refining the Design
In addition to functionality, easy learnability and problem-free use of the software are vital to satisfy our customers. Therefore, the user should be invited to give his feedback as early as possible in the development cycle.
With User Days serious difficulties can be found and corrected before the user stumbles over them at his work place. If the User Day is conducted right after the first design phase, major problems can already be eliminated before the program code is written by using low fidelity paper prototypes. (Please refer to the Prototype article)
The User Day provides a suitable user-centered method for gathering user's feedback in order to check an application's design and in order to systematically detect difficulties in its usage.
The User Day method allows both group (parallel testing) and individual evaluation (sequential testing). The steps for performing a User Day are identical for both approaches.
No special location is required to run a User Day, however, if necessary, it can be run in an Usability Lab.
Preparation for the User Day
In a preparation meeting the following points must be defined:
- the profile of the potential test participants;
- the type and scope of the tasks;
- the number of test participants and the type of session;
- the date of the User Day and the invitations;
- the team members who will observe the test participants;
- the date by which any identified problems will be corrected.
Performing the User Day
The steps of the User Day are as follows. The duration may vary depending on the types of application and tasks. The duration given here is only meant to give you an idea.
- Welcome (duration approx. 15 minutes)
- Introduction (duration approx. 30-40 minutes)
The test participants are introduced to the application and to the aims of the User Day. Depending on the knowledge of the users it might be necessary to five them a short training. - Task Processing (duration approx. 1-3 hours)
At the end of the introduction the participants are asked to process realistic standard tasks from the application area. While they are doing this, they are asked to "think aloud", i.e. to say what they are doing at the moment and why. This procedure makes it easier to identify problems during usage.
Problems occurring when processing the tasks and the remarks made by the participants are videotaped. They are the basis for subsequent discussions. - Lunch Break (duration approx. 1 hour)
- Structured Discussion (duration approx. 1-3 hours)
In the first part of the discussion, the participants are asked to express their impression about the application. In the second part of the discussion, the problems recorded on video are discussed again. The usage problems are discussed and solutions are suggested. - Wrap Up Session (duration approx. 15 minutes)
The results of the User Day are summarized and users are thanked for their participation.
The User Day is carried out as described above. During the task processing phase one application team member must observe each user. Therefore, you need the same number of team members as test participants present. This means for a parallel session that you need more team members than for sequential sessions.
The User Day is usually performed with three to six test participants from different companies. This avoids creating a design just for one customer and results in a relatively stable picture of customer-independent usage problems.
Team Debriefing
A 2-4-hour-meeting is held in which the problems identified during the User Day are discussed, priorities are assigned, and solutions and deadlines are agreed upon.
