UMDEvents+Usability Test

__**Patrick Asare**__

**Mustapha, Monkainfon**

[|UMDEvents]

__**Usability Test Plan**__ Our tests were designed to test our core features. The event posting, event deletion, the map, the info box below the map, the color coordination, and the users ability to register/log in. In order to gauge how easy and intuitive our site was we did not tell the user what to do. When asked we told the users to make up an event, however aside from that we did not provide the users with any help.

We will be conducting usability tests with University of Maryland students, and recent graduates This is our primary audience that we outlined in the user needs section of our project. The participants that we will use for this study will be a combination of recent graduates and current students. We will also attempt to get students who participate in lots of on campus activities and students with limited participation in on campus activities. In order to diversify our sample group. All of our participants will be acting as themselves and will be doing solo usability tests.  __List of Tasks__  
 * Create and post an event.
 * Register, log-in, Post an event.

   
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">After posting look for your event in the box below the map. Did you notice anything? (The delete button for events posted by the user should be visible now)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Filter events utilizing the various filters.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">View an event for further information.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The user has to confirm their choice before deleting however chrome would not allow me to take a screen shot while the confirm box was open.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Delete an event.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">__**Usability Test Results**__

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Usability study questions]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">__**Participant One**__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The first participant in our usability study is a 23 year old male. He is a recent graduate currently working as an electrical engineer at a power plant.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">In regards to the pre-test questions he stated that he rarely participated in on campus activities mainly because he did not know about that many. He stated that the only campus organization that he was a part of was Black Engineers Society, and that he found out about on campus events by word of mouth. This individual spends approximately 5 hours a day on the computer.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">During the study the user was able to easily create and post an event. He intuitively knew that the text boxes on the right of the map were related to the map, and were for posting events. He also did not have trouble registering an account, and was surprised that one could do such things with pop ups. Upon signing in he noticed an error where the sign in window does not go away after successful sign in. Filtering events and knowing what the different colors represented was easy for the participant to discover. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">He also found the view event button to be a good idea and that It would help to have pictures of the venue, organization, and event. He also suggested that we add an RSVP feature so that event organizers know how many people to expect. The user had extreme difficulty with deleting an event. This is because we have implemented a feature were if you post an event anonymously anybody can delete it, however if you post an event while signed in you have to sign in again to be able to delete it. However this process was not detailed in the help page or explained to the participant before the study began. After being told this he stated that he did not think it was necessary for such measures to be put into effect. Overall being a former UMD student he stated that he wished an online event posting site had been available at the time he was attending the University.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">__**Participant Two**__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;"> The second participant in our usability study is a 23 year old male. He is also a recent graduate and is a Kinesiology major.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;"> In regard to the pre-test questions he stated that he rarely participates in on campus events unless it is something hosted by the organizations he is a part of. He stated that the campus organizations that he is a part of are Bethel Campus Fellowship, and Pre-Physical Therapy Association, and that he found out about campus events through word of mouth and the Diamondback. This individual spends approximately 3-5 hours a day on the computer.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;"> During the study the user was able to easily create and post an event. He intuitively knew that the text boxes on the right of the map were related to the map, and were for posting events. He also did not have trouble registering an account. This participant was also surprised at the versatility of pop up boxes. This participant noted the same sign in error that participant one noticed. Filter events and knowing what the different colors represented was easy for the participant to discover.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;"> This participant did not find much use for the view event button and stated that It would be better to provide all of the information on the front page. So that users do not have to go searching for the information and that this will make the site faster to use. This participant also had a hard time deleting events and encountered the same problems as participant one. At this point we decided to include a section on the help page detailing the process. Once he found out he process the participant stated that he believed the added security to be worth the extra effort of having to seek assistance in deleting events. The participant also agreed that anybody should be able to delete events if they were posted anonymously. At the end of the study the participant expressed interest in our project and stated that an event posting website makes sense for a school as large and diverse as Maryland.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">__**Participant Three**__

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">The third participant in our usability study is a 21 year old female. She is currently a senior at the University of Maryland and is an accounting major.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;"> In regard to the pre-test questions she stated that she always participates in campus events hosted by her particular organizations but never in those hosted by other organizations. She stated that she is a member of the National Association for Black Accountants, the African Student Association, and the Black Student Union. She usually find out about campus events through emails. This individual spends approximately 5 hours a day on the computer.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;"> During the study the participant was able to easily create and post an event. She knew that the text boxes on the right side of the map were related to the map and for posting events. She stated that the addition of the box below the map that also shows the events was a very good idea. She also had good things to say about the color coordination and the various filters that we used on our site. She did not have trouble registering an account. This participant was curious as to how we were able to use a pop up box for such a function. This participant noted the same sign in error as the previous participants.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;"> This participant had a difficult time deleting their events even with information from the help page. However she agreed that the added security one gains is a fair trade off for the steeper learning curve of this feature. This participant thought that the view event button was a good idea, however she wondered why we did not just make another pop up like we used for the register and sign in. It was a good idea and as such we are now considering if we want to implement the view event button in that manner. The participant also stated that she did not believe it was fair for anybody to be able to delete an event that was posted anonymously. However she could not provide an alternative solution to the problem. At the end of the study she was pleased with the prospect of a potential event posting website for the University and stated that this would allow her to participate in the activities of other on campus organizations.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">__**Participant Four**__

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;"> The fourth participant in our usability study is a 23 year old female. She is currently a graduate student at the University of Maryland, and also a Teach Assistant in the psychology department.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;"> In regard to the pre-test questions she stated that she rarely participated in on campus events when she was an undergraduate student. She stated that she is no longer a member of any campus organizations, and her usual method for finding out about on campus events through the university’s main web page or word of mouth. She also stated that she spends more then 6 hours a day on the computer.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;"> During the study the participant was able to easily create and post an event. She knew that the text boxes on the right side of the map were related to the map and were for posting events. She stated that the addition of the box below the map neither helped nor hindered her understanding of the events. She had good things to say about the color coordination and the various filter that we used in our site. She did not have trouble registering an account although she got a strange pop up that stated the account name was already in use before creating the account. One interesting thing that was stated by this participant that has not been stated by anyone before here is that up first coming to the site she had no idea what its intended purpose was.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">__**Participant Five**__

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;"> The fifth participant in our usability study is a 23 year old male, economics major. He is a recent graduate from the University of Maryland.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">In regard to the pre-test questions he stated that he participates in campus events only 2 to 3 times a semester. He stated that he is currently a part of three on campus organizations. He also stated that he usually finds out about new campus events through email, flyers, and word of mouth. He stated that he spends about 9 hours a day on the computer.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">During the study the participant was not able to create an event at all. He had difficulty understanding that events can be posted anonymously as well as under a user account. Because the user was not able to register for an account he did not attempt to post anonymously. The participant believed that the map was for decoration, and did not find it to be of any use. The participant was able to identify the various colors on the site and their intended purpose. The participant find events to be very secure. Upon first visiting the site the user did not know what its intended purpose was. The participant also found the view event button to be very important to the site. At the end of the study the participant stated that he believes we should remove the map and use the space to allow for move events to be visible on the screen at once. He also expressed interest in using an online event posting system.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">__**Participant Six**__

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">The sixth participant in our usability study is a 21 year old female, marketing major. She is currently a senior at the University of Maryland.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">In regard to the pre-test questions she stated that she participates in on campus events twice a week for the various organizations she is a part of. She is currently a member of Women Accountants Association. She usually hears about campus events through listservs, and she stated that she spends approximately 8 hours on the computer a day.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">During the study the participant was able to easily create and post an event. She knew what the text boxes on the page were for. She stated that the addition of the box below the map was really useful, and an important marketing technique because of the color coordination. She also applauded our filters and the various uses of color coordination throughout the site. The participant did not find the map very helpful and suggested that the map be zoomed in to only the University, and to make the auto complete recognize the university buildings. She did not have trouble registering an account, or logging in. Without consulting the help page the participant was able to identify the fact the she can only delete events that she has created and events anonymously created. She expressed interest in using the product once it has become finalized and believes that it will be a great addition to the University and also help to promote diversity, and learning.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**__Participant Seven__**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The seventh participant in our usability study is a 20 year old male, letters and sciences major. He is currently a sophomore at the Univiersity of Maryland.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">In regard to the pre-test questions he stated that he does not participate in on campus activities. He is not currently a member of any campus clubs or organizations. He stated that he usually hears about campus events by word of mouth, and that he spends approximately 6 hours a day on the computer.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">During the study we encountered a little problem where we could not connect to the database however after this was fixed the participant was able to easily create and post an event. He knew the intended use of the text boxes. He stated that the box below the map was very helpful in allowing him to see all of the various events as well as being able to use the map to gauge distances between events. He was quite pleased at the various use of color coordination throughout the site and continued to comment on how easy it made things. The participant did not have trouble registering an account or logging in. He was also satisfied with the security of his events knowing that only he can delete them. After the study the participant stated that he thinks such a website would be a good idea for the university.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">__**Particpant Eight**__

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The eight participant in our usability study is a 22 year old female, agricultural economics major. She is currently a senior at the University of Maryland.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">In regard to the pre-test questions she stated that she often participates in on campus events. She is currently a part of the National Association for Black Accountants. She usually hears about campus events through email, and word of mouth. She spends apporoximately 8 hours a day on the computer.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">During the study the participant <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> was able to easily create and post an event. She knew the intended use of the text boxes. She stated that the additon of the box below the map was quite useful, and an important marketing technique because of the color coordination. She also was pleased with the filters and the various use of colors throughout the site. The participant found the map to be of moderate use, she knew its intended function and was not sure if it actually satified that requirement. The participant did not have any trouble registering an account or logging in. She did however have a bit of <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">difficultly <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> deleting an event. She stated that she knew that to be necessary for the added secuirity that events gain.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">**__Wrap Up__**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">The statistics for our post-test questions are as such:
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">7/8 Participants knew what the intended purpose of the map was.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">7/8 Participants found the map to be useful.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">6/8 Participants were able to identify the various meanings of the colors with no help.
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">8/8 Participants found the process of deleting events to be somewhat difficult for events the user posted while signed in.
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">8/8 Participants found the registration and sign in process to be cumbersome.
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">8/8 Participants felt that their events were secure. While 3/8 Participants thought it was unfair to be able to delete events that were posted anonymously.
 * 7) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">5/8 Participants were able to identify the intended purpose of the site upon first reaching it.
 * 8) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">7/8 Participants stated that they thought the view event button was very necessary.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">__**Charts**__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">The Top Issues of concern with our site as a result of this study are: > We rate this problem as a 5 because if users cannot tell the purpose of the site without any additional instruction then they will think they are at the wrong place and leave. > > We rate this process as a 3 because while it is somewhat difficult to register it is not mandatory and the added security out weighs the pitfalls. > > For now we rate this as a 1. > > We rate this as a 2 as more events are introduced more types will also be introduced. > > We rate this as a 3 because we understand the importance of such a feature.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">People do not know the intended purpose of the site upon first visit.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">Registration and Sign in process too difficult.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">Some participants do no like the colors that we have used.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">There should be more types in the type filter.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-decoration: none;">Automatic Scrolling event box.