Report

Web site usability testing is a test of how people actually successfully use a web site. It can evaluate a web site by testing it on user. Besides, it is an essential element quality assurance. Web designer can improve the web page by the opinion of user. Usability testing can help create and maintain user friendly.

Design and usability

From the usability testing, there are three users. Three of them can get the point of the page(s). The usres are outsiders, they are Yee Chat Kam, Lee Jia Yen and Goh Wan Mui.

They understand the information given in the web page and know the content of the web site. From the front page they know what kind of web page they are viewing.

They are understands the navigation system and use the web site well. There is a rollover with the button. Thus, user can find the button easily and click to search the section they want to view. Users suggest that can add links to get more information about the design festival. Besides, navigation for searching such as Google can provide so that they can search information.

Besides, they can find the information they want. In their opinion, the information is not enough to satisfy their needs. In the part of Seminars and Events, they would like to know the full address and the map of the activities. Besides, they would like to know the name of artist who will join the design week. In the Gallery part, artist’s name should be shown with their artwork.

The users will return to the web page if they want to know more information about the Design festival. On the other hand, they are not recommending it to others because the website is good enough. They suggest the web site can add in flash or animation to interact user.

A visually striking site can create a positive and everlasting impression on the mind of a web visitor. Computer graphics or multimedia content can demonstrate the usability of the product. For this purpose, a designer needs to create video and add these video into the web pages. The videos can give a vivid and complete description of the usability of the design festival.

Besides, at the about us, partners and sponsors, the text is set in a single column on the screen. It looks many words per line. They think it is prove hard to read as a result of the poor screen resolution.

They didn’t get lost when using the web site. Those users hope the web page can improve can looks artistic but not too formal. They comment that they like the pictures in the web site because it looks artistic and creative. They hope that when they view the gallery site, the picture can rollover when they point on the certain picture below.

They think that the layout of every web page is consistent. Two of them think that the design of the layout can be more colorful and add more graphic elements in the web site. For example, different color of header and footer on different web page.

Users feel distrustful or insecure when they go to the seminars site because they feel that the information of the seminars is few. The web designer should provide more information about the seminar, such as what the seminars about, who is giving the seminars. Users also comment that designer should add a calendar about the activities of design week.

During the usability test, the test range from 3 minute for a single page design to 30 minutes for a general response to a whole site.

In conclusion, three users had accomplished a key task. They are satisfied with the web site but the think that the web site can be approve. Users feel relax when using the web site because they doesn’t need to learn news systems and the web site no need to experiment to use.