usability and forms, kana europe customer summit

Usability and FormsCaroline Jarrett

FORMS

CONTENT

KANA Customer Summit, 2010

© Effortmark Ltd, 2010

Caroline Jarrett is a usability consultant specialising in forms and improving content

• Started Effortmark Ltd in 1994

• Working mainly with government

and non-profit clients– Tax authorities in UK, USA and Australia– The Open University and other universities– Other government departments

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Outline What is usability?

What is usability of forms?

Some top tips


The Internet when it started was about creating an electronic library

• Tim Berners-Lee created the

world-wide web for scientists to

access technical information

• Other early web sites said

“We’re here”

• They expected that users

understand everything

they read

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An early bank web site was nearly all about offering information

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General information


The first big change was in the dotcom boom. We saw “internet services” starting

• Web sites started to– select useful information– offer downloadable forms

• The web was all about– A channel to conventional services– Internet services were different and

special

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The bank’s web site in 2004;most of the page is about services

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General information


The current challenge is about usability;users expect to do things online – easily

• Users interact with many different types of site:– Their banking– Their social networks– Their shopping– Their government.

• They expect to be able to do things online.

• They expect it to be easy.

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Usability is about people doing things easily

The extent to which a product

can be used by specified users

to achieve specified goals with

effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction

in a specified context of use

(ISO 9241:11 1998)

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Usability testing is:asking a user to try something

• As realistically as possible

• To do whatever the product is for

• A few extra users help (but not many more)

• Using a product is different to looking at it

Ginny Redish (2007) “Letting go of the words”


We will try a quick usability test of HSBC’s home page from 2004

• Ask a user to try using the home page:– everyone can try it

• As realistically as possible:– the best we can do in the middle of a conference presentation

• To do whatever the product is for:– apply for a credit card from the bank

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Where do you click to apply for a credit card?

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Now we will try a quick usability test of HSBC’s personal home page in 2010

• Ask a user to try using the home page:– everyone can try it

• As realistically as possible:– the best we can do in the middle of a conference presentation

• To do whatever the product is for:– apply for a credit card from the bank

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Where do you click to apply for a credit card?

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Some top tips


What do people want to do with forms?

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A form is something you deal with when you’re trying to do something else.

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Steve Teacher“I want to set up my iPad on broadband”

KayleyFull-time mum“I want to tell my gas supplier

that we’ve changed bank”


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Will Kayley fill in the form?

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A form is something you deal with when you’re trying to do something else.

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Will Steve fill in the form?

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Will Steve fill in the form?

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Some top tips


Forms have three layers:relationship, conversation and appearance

It’s a form because… The layer Works well if….

I’m trying to do somethingand that means I have to do a form

Relationship Users’ goals and business goals line up

It asks questions and I supply answers

Conversation The questions make sense and the conversation flows

It looks like a form Appearance It looks attractive and organised


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Tip #1: relationshipAllow for mismatches between user and business goals


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Tip #2: conversationAsk questions that users can answer


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Tip #3: conversationHelp users to find the answers


Tip #4: appearanceArrange the labels and fields so that users can see which label goes with which field

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Tip #4: appearanceDon’t put hint text inside boxes

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2%

http://bit.ly/dzcnpIUXmatters.com “Don’t put hints inside text boxes in web forms”

http://bit.ly/dzcnpI



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Top tip that beats all other tips:Test your form with your users and their goals

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Contact details for Caroline Jarrett

Effortmark Ltd

16 Heath Road

Leighton Buzzard

Bedfordshire

LU7 3AB

01525 370379

[email protected]

www.effortmark.co.uk

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usability and forms, kana europe customer summit

Technology

usability of forms

web forms

usability consultant

usability testing

credit card

early bank web site

worldwide web

hint text