Panel Report: Week 4

real-world applications of interaction design (by Alan Boring) and usability testing (by Laura Barboza)

The first speaker at this panel was named Alan Boring, who discussed with us his experience with Interaction Design. Alan shared the interaction design process and prototyping of the app called One Bus Away, whom his former student Brian Ferris was the co-creator of. Ferris initially started it as a student project, and the implantation process for the app began in 2008. The design techniques they employed over the years were things like paper prototyping, scenarios, surveys, and many more. The original interface caused a lot of rider confusion, (for example, with the schedule/real time distinction) so they’ve done things to improve it over the years. This app was very much needed, and to learn the design process and initial start was something very inspiring.

Laura Barbozy was the second speaker, and she discussed with us her experience with usability testing. Lauren is a user experience researcher at Nordstrom’s, so she shared the usability testing conducted for their Anniversary sale. The testing was done over three trials, and each trial had something slightly different. Based on the feedback they got from the users, they would change things about their site/app to make it more accessible and understandable for their viewers. Although each trial was different, there were three questions which were the guidelines for each round of the usability testing and they were: 1) Do customers understand what early access is 2) Can customers identify what their next step options are, and 3) Do customers see the benefits in becoming cardholder members. Those were the questions they would build off in order to know what needed to be done to improve the site for their users.

After learning of these projects, I would now know ways in which I could improve my own. For my interaction design, I would have done more paper prototyping and thought of more scenarios so that the app I created was clearer for the users and gave them everything they needed for the use of the app. For the usability testing my group and I conducted, I would have thought of three guideline questions in order to sum up the importance’s of what the user needed. Both these projects have emphasized the importance in interaction design and usability test: thinking of the user- what they need and how to improve things for them.