Product Evaluation in Computing

Introduction and Background

For this project you will evaluate an existing phone or computer application and develop a set of recommendations for improvement — much like a user experience researcher would do to incrementally improve a product or service.

While this project will focus on user experience evaluation, the video below provides a broader overview of user experience design, including the research and evaluation components of the domain. This will provide a good context to think about the skills needed for this project.

Examples for Documenting a Task Analysis

Below are two common ways to consider documenting a task analysis. One is tabular and the other is a diagram. No matter which method you choose it is important to capture the details of each step a person takes in completing the task. It is a good idea to go through each step and generate notes on any important features or potential problems along the way.

Usability Principles

Below is a great checklist to use when evaluating the usability of a product or service.

Student Objectives:

  • Conduct a task analysis of an existing computer/phone product

  • Complete a systematic review of the product's usability

  • Develop a set of recommended improvements for the product

  • Synthesize a report or presentation to share their findings and recommendations.

Subject Areas: Computer Science, Business, Design, Language Arts

Instructions

1. Conduct a task analysis of an existing computer/phone product

  • Choose a computer application (mobile or desktop) that you will evaluate for a couple tasks. Find an application that has two tasks, each requiring at least three steps.

  • Document a detailed step-by-step description of the tasks in a table or diagram format.

  • Capture screenshot images for each step.

2. Complete a systematic review of the product's usability

  • Review each step in your analysis and record notes on any important features or potential problems along the way.

  • Go through each item in the usability checklist and note any room for improvement with the tasks.

  • Based on your evaluation generate a list of improvements to consider, no matter how small or large.

  • Review your improvement list and identify the top two changes that would provide the most benefit. Consider the effort needed to make the change as well.

4. Synthesize a report or presentation to share their findings and recommendations.

Generate a presentation that summarizes your evaluation and the recommended improvements. Include the following elements in your report.

  • Title of Project and Contributors

  • Description of the application evaluated

  • Screenshots of the application

  • The table or diagram of the task analysis

  • A description (text, annotated images, or sketches) of the proposed improvements to be made.

  • A prompt for the audience to provide feedback on your report.

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