Website Usability Report
Prepared By: Jacqueline Carlisle Lauren Blake Rhonda Farabee Bridgette Lewis Kaitlin Glenn
Table of Contents
Page 3: Executive summary Page 4: Introduction Page 5: Methodology Page 6: esting environment Page 7-19: Te Usability est Page 20: Assessment Page 21: Conclusion Page 22-23: Appendix
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Executive Summary
Written by six juniors and seniors in Youngstown State University’s proessional writing and editing program, this report explains the process and results o a website usability test designed or Magic ree Pub and Eatery. Te report aims to assist the local business in creating a proessional and user-riendly online presence. Te test, containing thirteen survey questions targeted toward the website’s strengths and weaknesses, ocuses on design, content, and navigation. Survey questions provide Magic ree with eedback rom local internet users. Results o the study indicated that the users who spent over ve hours per day online navigated Magic ree’s website with ease. However, those who spent ve hours online per day or less had trouble locating important inormation. Te usability test also revealed that, while the design is visually appealing, all users were unable to purchase items rom website’s online store, the reservations pages should be clearer and more accessible, the concept o “eatery” could be better established, broken links were ound throughout the site and lastly, some pages were ar more developed than others.
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Introduction
Tis usability study was conducted by junior and senior members in the proessional writing and editing program at Youngstown State University. Te group examined the usability and accessibility o Boardman, Ohio’s Magic ree Pub and Eatery’s ocial website. Aer rst examining the website ourselves, we began conducting surveys to simultaneously gain understanding and experience in usability testing, and provide the local business owners with constructive eedback based o test results. Internet users, ages ranging between 14 and 53, took part in usability tests presented as surveys. Te surveys were designed, acilitated, and observed by our group members. As a result o this study, students uncover what the majority o participants ound overall appealing and unappealing in regard to the website’s design, content, and navigation.
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Methodology
Beore designing the usability test or the Magic ree Pub and Eatery’s website, the site was rst reviewed by our group members. Without any previous knowledge o the website, the proessional writing and editing students navigated through each portion taking down comments, questions, and concerns while also making note o the website’s advanced eatures. Due to the lack o knowledge o the Magic Pub and Eatery, our group was able to construct questions without bias. urnouts or willing participants yielded six emales and our males ages ranging between ourteen and y-three. Upon construction o the test, the group chose users o dierent demographics and varying technological competency and observed the results. For privacy, participants were only asked to give their age and rst name. Te srcinal testing environment calls or one member to observe testing, one to ask survey questions and speak to the participants, one to time the participant’s eorts, one to record times and responses, and another to take notes on each participant’s progress. With each duty given to a dierent member, it allows or better observation. Te ocial testing resulted in smaller group collaborations. Smaller groups meant dual roles. During each participant’s exam, one person asked survey questions and spoke to participants, another timed the participant and took notes, one observed and recorded times and recorded participant answers. Due to this altered setup, members o our group had to ocus on multiple aspects o observation, which may to overlooking smaller details. esting in smaller groups may aect varying results. Based on research o accessibility and usability testing, in addition to our own experiences, our group generated thirteen survey questions targeting design, content, and navigation.
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Testing Environment •
Prior to the usability test, participants were inormed that their time was not the objective o the test, but rather the accessibility o the website itsel.
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Comortable chairs and room temperature were provided.
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Kelley, Jordan, Brenda, and Andrew tested in quiet rooms.
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Alexis, Dave, Kiyana, Sherene, aylor, and errence tested ina school computer lab, which was a noisier setting.
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All participants weretested on Mozilla Fireox version 3.5
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All participants tested on desktop computers.
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The Usability Test • Based o research dissecting accessibility and usability testing, in addition to their own experiences, the group generated ourteen survey questions targeting design, content, and navigation. Te questions include the ollowing: 1. What browser do you use at home? We asked this question o our participants to see where they were at with technology and the level o usage we were at. Result:
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2. How much time do you spend online? Tis question was asked to see how much experience each user had with the internet. Result:
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3. ype the words “Magic ree” into the search bar. What comes up? Tis question was asked to see the results that came up when “Magic ree” was researched. Result:
Results interpreted: Competing with Magic ree House and Magic ree: Te Run Scape Wiki, and Magic ree Lore, the Magic ree Pub and Eatery ranked highest in search results with the Saari web browser.
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4. Do you like how the website looks? Does it appeal to the eye? Tis question was asked to see how the participants elt about the website’s design. Result:
Results interpreted: Out o ten users, seven reported that they liked the design. wo users did not, leaving one user undecided. Some users described the graphics as “vibrant” but others said “bland” and the photographs selected were “uzzy.” A common response was that the Magic ree logo was clever. Te most problems users had were with the background image and color scheme. Some also elt the images selected relied too heavily on alcohol, leaving little room or emphasis on the “eatery” aspect o the Magic ree.
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5. Can you nd the banquet section? How much is it to hold an event? Tis question was asked to test the accessability o the website’s links and sections. Result:
Results interpreted: Amongst users, there was only a small amount o diculty ace when navigating to the banquet section. Many commented on the appealing design or this section o the website. Te main concern here was the lack o pricing inormation. Since prices were not listed, users tended to begin looking elsewhere, but ailed to nd the inormation. A user commented, “It would be nice to have an estimated cost.”
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Assessment
6. Can you nd the hours o operation? Were they hard to nd? Tis question was asked to test the accessibility o the website’s links and sections. Result:
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7. Locate the menu. How do you like the design? Tis question was asked to test the accessibility o the website’s menu and also the design o it. Result:
Results interpreted: Most users agreed with the way the menu’s design, stating that it had a nice setup. Some percipients were concerned that it was too bland and the text was too small, making the menu hard to read. In addition to the visual appeal, the majority o users did not understand the reasoning behind having an extra click required to get to the menu.
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8. I you were a customer trying to order, is it easy to see what’s available? Tis question was asked to test the accessibility o the website’s menu. Result:
Results interpreted: Te eciency o the menu was very high. No users had a problem guring out what kind o ood the restaurant sold or the pricing.
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9. Can you nd the section where you are able to reserve a table? Tis question was asked to test the accessibility o the website’s links and sections. Result:
Results interpreted: Participants had trouble with accessibility. Te average time to nd it was around one minute. Unlike the hours o operation, this section o the website was no eciently placed, thereore, its level o accessibility suered.
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10. Can you tell me who to contact i I wanted to host a undraiser? Tis question was asked to test the accessibility o the website’s links and sections. Result:
Results interpreted: Participants unanimously agreed that the undraising section was very hard to locate. Once they ound it, only two participants could gure out who to contact in order to set up an event. Te average time to nd this inormation was over a minute.
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11. Pretend you want to buy a shirt. How was your shopping experience? Tis question was asked to test the accessibility and usability o the website’s links and sections. Result:
Results interpreted: None o the participants were able to complete a purchase. Several commented that the experience was very rustrating and conusing. Others wondered why there was no inormation on their attempt to purchase and why there was no place or their credit card inormation.
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12. Can you nd what kind o beer the Magic ree serves? Tis question was asked to test the accessibility o the beer menu. Result:
Results interpreted: Te average time to get to beer selections was around thirty seconds. Dra beer was easy to spot and navigate; however, participants were also interested in bottle beers, which were not ound on the site.
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Conclusion 13. Can you refect on the overall design and content o the website? Are you interested in going there? Tis question was asked to test the accessibility and usability o the website as a whole. Result:
Results interpreted: Seven out o ten participants stated that they would like to go to the Magic ree Pub and Eatery aer their online experience. Overall, most participants had a decent experience with the site but express the majority o their displeasure with navigation and their shopping experiences.
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Assessment
1. – Color selected images, out,layout onts,oand white space. • Display Participants tookscheme, a close look at the designlay and each page. • In casual conversation, they were asked about color schemes and visual appeal. • Participants were casually asked about images selections and text choices. 2. Content – Up-to-date, relevant,easy to understand, and contact inormation. • Participants looked or up-to-date inormation. • In some cases, participants were asked to locate nonexistent inormation. • Basic, but necessary inormation and services were the main target in this category. 3. Navigation – Layout, easy-to-nd inormation, links, and how many clicks it took to nd what the participant was looking or. • Dicult and easy inormation targeted to generate responses. • Locating inormation within the survey questions were timed. • Links and accessibility targeted.
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Conclusion
In the Magic ree Eatery’s website servescontent, its purpose as aconclusion, whole. However, there are Pub a ewandetails as ar as design, and navigation are concerned. We came up with suggestions by reviewing results, and observing participants. ending to all problem areas detected in the conclusion o this usability test can potentially make or a stronger, user-riendly online presence and increase the proessional persona o Magic ree Pub and Eatery. All concerns, suggestions, and eedback generated rom the study are listed below. • Avoid excessive amounts o white space. • “Eatery” should be better established. Troughout the website, the idea o Magic ree being an eatery is lost. • Since dra beers are listed, users expected to nd the Magic ree’s bottled beer selection nearby. • A ew images were pixilated and others were unnecessary. • Te website contained broken links. • Some sections o the site were much more developed than others.
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Appendix Participant Biographies: • Alexis, 22 - As a telecommunications majorscheduled to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in May, 2013, Alexis has a signicant amount o experience dealing with technology. She estimates an average online use o seven hours. • Andrew, 22 – Majoring in orensic science, Andrewhas an excessive amount o experience with technology. Tough he estimates a mere our hours per day o time spend navigating websites, particularly sports-themed websites, he spends his time on portable devices and game systems. • Brenda, 45 - Brenda has roughly two years o experience with the Internet. Te majority o her online background is by means o desktop computers. Brenda preers basic technology but recently, however, her internet usage has increased to roughly our hours per day, and she has quickly begun to pick up website navigation skills. • Dave, 27 – With a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, he ocuses onvisual content. Dave uses the internet on a daily basis navigating several dierent websites including social media. He estimates spending approximately six hours online per day. • Jordan, 14 – As an Eighth grade student, Jordan, estimates spending approximately two hours online daily. • Kelley, 53 – Beore taking an injury-related leave o absence, Kelley workedwith computers or thirty-two years Now, with extra time on his hands, he navigates social networking sites. He estimates spending up to six hours online daily. • Kiyana, 24 – As a medical assistant, she deals with a wide range o technology. She usually navigates social networking sites such as Youube, Facebook, witter, and Instagram, in addition to search engines Google and Wiki. Kiyana estimates using the internet two hours daily.
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• Sherene, 23 – Pediatric home health aide, Sherene, spends roughly six hours per day online. Her main ocus while online are social networking sites, Facebook, witter, and Instagram. Distributed by the company she works or, she also is subjected to monthly, online examinations. • aylor, 19 – With an estimate o our hours online, aylor admits to being less technologically savvy. Moderately active on witter, she dominantly navigates websites or academic purposes. • errence, 19 – errence owns a desktop computer and an HC mobile phone. He is most comortable on his desktop, which he estimates using ve hours per day, navigating websites or academic purposes, social media, and occasionally or news updates.
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