February 25, 2017 at 21:54Watching user
Personally, I always wanted to have a third eye, a seventh sense, or, at worst, a magic pill, with which I could design the most-most convenient site.
In my dreams, users fly to him like butterflies into the world on the go, converting into a loyal and loyal audience. But there are no miracles, so you have to manage with funds that are not so magical and fast, but completely replace magic tablets and the third eye.
I'm talking about usability testing. The path, of course, is not the easiest, but effective.
In the article I want to share the conclusions made in the process of observing user behavior. In principle, everything has long been described in smart books and without me and for some it will not be news, but someone may and will find something new and useful for themselves.
No matter how beautiful your prototypes are, no matter how brilliant the solutions are, and no matter how delicious the coffee is, if the user closes, you won’t get any sensible results.
Hence the first conclusion: show that you are on his side of the barricades. Does he not like the high prices on your site? I completely agree, you give a discount of 99.99%!
He could not understand that the magnifying glass icon means search? I myself see this for the first time!
Well and so on. To agree, smile and understand that magic pipe, thanks to which the user relaxes, and you get the maximum result.
In the form of a bonus, he can also throw a couple of good ideas that you can take note of.
Who is the owner of the iPhone knows that deletion is possible by swiping the desired file to the left. However, when testing the application, users were unable to delete the basket item.
They couldn’t, because they were looking for an icon, a word and any other thing that would clearly let them know that this could be deleted. Age and term of ownership of the iPhone did not matter. They simply did not transfer their knowledge of managing the phone to the application.
Conclusion: if the user understands the functions of the system does not mean at all that he will transfer these functions to the application. Add icons and inscriptions to help you understand how you can perform an action.
As one can look at fire endlessly, one can talk endlessly on the topic of icon signatures.
Once again I’m convinced that they don’t understand even the most tacky icons that should have been sore in the user's brain for a long time and worked out an unconditioned reflex.
The conclusion is as old as our planet: sign icons, make pop-up tips on the site and we will have great and comprehensive happiness.
Search should be. Clear field in a conspicuous place.
Especially if the site has a lot of goods. Small icons in the form of a magnifier, driven into the right corner of the site, are fashionable and in some places even great. But, as observations show, a sufficient number of visitors come with a ready-made solution and they need a search for a quick search. Sorry for the tautology. They will not find a search from you, they will go to competitors.
Conclusion: A lot of goods on the site? Give a noticeable search box!
Recommendations are good, they’re even great. We have individual recommendations that are displayed on the main page. There is a separate page with recommendations on topics, events and many other good recommendations.
But there is a problem: many do not understand that the main page is individual recommendations, and a separate page is generally often ignored. But notifications with recommendations and updates sent to the phone or mail attract much more user attention.
Conclusion: perhaps you should not spend too much space for showing recommendations, but rather put more effort into sending newsletters and push notifications. They perceive them as something more personal, respectively, treat them with great interest. Recommendations from friends, colleagues and acquaintances are also greatly appreciated.
Tell the user what will happen or is happening. No cheating. To understand a few examples from life:
- We will send the book by e-mail! - The site happily reports. The user expects a book, and instead receives a link to download the application, in which you can read this book.
After purchasing a book on the site, the link proudly reports: “You can read the book in your application!” In fact, to read what is needed in the application, click on this link and see the inscription “Sent”. But the user does not know this. He, naive, has long tormented his application in search of a sent book.
As a result, disappointment from unfulfilled hopes and minus karma.
Most sites strive to look fashionable, fresh and modern. To wind a thousand fashionable chips, in the application make gesture control to save space. However, do not forget that for people far from the topic “Design Trends 2017” it can be very difficult to figure this out. The modern look of the site plays an important role in getting to know each other, but convenience remains in the first place.
A pretty decent chunk of users choose certain resources in which they spend time, not following the general trends of design development. They transfer the received user experience to other sites and applications.
Conclusion: the wider the reach of your target audience, the more simple and intuitive the interface should be. Otherwise, the chances of being misunderstood increase.
A little bit about the name of the categories. It always seemed to me that the categories of goods of online stores should be as close as possible to the name of the categories of offline.
Take the same books. In any bookstore you will find books on psychology, detective stories, romance novels and more. But it turned out that the user’s head has its own most convenient breakdown of goods into categories. Sometimes one that in my soul causes a lot of controversy.
Conclusion: conduct an open card sorting and perhaps you will make yourself a lot of interesting conclusions about the breakdown of goods into categories and gain more loyal and grateful users.
In conclusion, I want to say a little about the cases during testing. The most relevant results can be obtained using cases that are close to the user.
As an example: A case for a young mother “Choose a book for yourself that you would like to read to a child” was carried out with great interest than a similar case for a young childless man.
Conclusion: clearer conclusions and results can be obtained from tasks that users perform in real life.
In my dreams, users fly to him like butterflies into the world on the go, converting into a loyal and loyal audience. But there are no miracles, so you have to manage with funds that are not so magical and fast, but completely replace magic tablets and the third eye.
I'm talking about usability testing. The path, of course, is not the easiest, but effective.
In the article I want to share the conclusions made in the process of observing user behavior. In principle, everything has long been described in smart books and without me and for some it will not be news, but someone may and will find something new and useful for themselves.
We take to the maximum
No matter how beautiful your prototypes are, no matter how brilliant the solutions are, and no matter how delicious the coffee is, if the user closes, you won’t get any sensible results.
Hence the first conclusion: show that you are on his side of the barricades. Does he not like the high prices on your site? I completely agree, you give a discount of 99.99%!
He could not understand that the magnifying glass icon means search? I myself see this for the first time!
Well and so on. To agree, smile and understand that magic pipe, thanks to which the user relaxes, and you get the maximum result.
In the form of a bonus, he can also throw a couple of good ideas that you can take note of.
To know is not to do
Who is the owner of the iPhone knows that deletion is possible by swiping the desired file to the left. However, when testing the application, users were unable to delete the basket item.
They couldn’t, because they were looking for an icon, a word and any other thing that would clearly let them know that this could be deleted. Age and term of ownership of the iPhone did not matter. They simply did not transfer their knowledge of managing the phone to the application.
Conclusion: if the user understands the functions of the system does not mean at all that he will transfer these functions to the application. Add icons and inscriptions to help you understand how you can perform an action.
We will not say who, although it was a baby elephant
As one can look at fire endlessly, one can talk endlessly on the topic of icon signatures.
Once again I’m convinced that they don’t understand even the most tacky icons that should have been sore in the user's brain for a long time and worked out an unconditioned reflex.
The conclusion is as old as our planet: sign icons, make pop-up tips on the site and we will have great and comprehensive happiness.
Freedom to the parrots! Soo-boo-do-poo-ha-yam!
Search should be. Clear field in a conspicuous place.
Especially if the site has a lot of goods. Small icons in the form of a magnifier, driven into the right corner of the site, are fashionable and in some places even great. But, as observations show, a sufficient number of visitors come with a ready-made solution and they need a search for a quick search. Sorry for the tautology. They will not find a search from you, they will go to competitors.
Conclusion: A lot of goods on the site? Give a noticeable search box!
You have your own fairy tale, and I have my own
Recommendations are good, they’re even great. We have individual recommendations that are displayed on the main page. There is a separate page with recommendations on topics, events and many other good recommendations.
But there is a problem: many do not understand that the main page is individual recommendations, and a separate page is generally often ignored. But notifications with recommendations and updates sent to the phone or mail attract much more user attention.
Conclusion: perhaps you should not spend too much space for showing recommendations, but rather put more effort into sending newsletters and push notifications. They perceive them as something more personal, respectively, treat them with great interest. Recommendations from friends, colleagues and acquaintances are also greatly appreciated.
“Where are you going?” - I do not know. - Then we are on the way
Tell the user what will happen or is happening. No cheating. To understand a few examples from life:
- We will send the book by e-mail! - The site happily reports. The user expects a book, and instead receives a link to download the application, in which you can read this book.
After purchasing a book on the site, the link proudly reports: “You can read the book in your application!” In fact, to read what is needed in the application, click on this link and see the inscription “Sent”. But the user does not know this. He, naive, has long tormented his application in search of a sent book.
As a result, disappointment from unfulfilled hopes and minus karma.
And we, you know, indulge in all the goodies ...
Most sites strive to look fashionable, fresh and modern. To wind a thousand fashionable chips, in the application make gesture control to save space. However, do not forget that for people far from the topic “Design Trends 2017” it can be very difficult to figure this out. The modern look of the site plays an important role in getting to know each other, but convenience remains in the first place.
A pretty decent chunk of users choose certain resources in which they spend time, not following the general trends of design development. They transfer the received user experience to other sites and applications.
Conclusion: the wider the reach of your target audience, the more simple and intuitive the interface should be. Otherwise, the chances of being misunderstood increase.
We start morning exercises for those who watch us in the evening
A little bit about the name of the categories. It always seemed to me that the categories of goods of online stores should be as close as possible to the name of the categories of offline.
Take the same books. In any bookstore you will find books on psychology, detective stories, romance novels and more. But it turned out that the user’s head has its own most convenient breakdown of goods into categories. Sometimes one that in my soul causes a lot of controversy.
Conclusion: conduct an open card sorting and perhaps you will make yourself a lot of interesting conclusions about the breakdown of goods into categories and gain more loyal and grateful users.
I asked 400 drops ... And here 402
In conclusion, I want to say a little about the cases during testing. The most relevant results can be obtained using cases that are close to the user.
As an example: A case for a young mother “Choose a book for yourself that you would like to read to a child” was carried out with great interest than a similar case for a young childless man.
Conclusion: clearer conclusions and results can be obtained from tasks that users perform in real life.