The Usability Lab provides opportunities for systematic studies of the interaction between human and computer interfaces. The research mainly concern different issues regarding HMI - or human-machine interaction - and the design of user interfaces.
Usability – A Competitive Advantage
Traditional competitive advantages in terms of functionality, reliability, and price are considered to have been partly replaced and partly complemented by values such as comfort, satisfaction, and usability. Usability and user-friendliness are thus becoming increasingly important for companies in a toughening market.
What is Usability?
Usability is often used to describe the quality that means we understand how to handle a product. Usability is a broader concept that encompasses both functionality and the experience of the product. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has defined usability as "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). Usability thus arises in a usage situation depending, for example, on who the user is. Usability design therefore requires knowledge about the user, the task, and the usage environment.
Evaluation of Usability
In usability tests, a product can be evaluated regarding its usability The tests can be used to identify user requirements for the product, to compare a product with other competing products, or to evaluate different solutions already during the development work.
A usabulity evaluation involves a number of representative users performing a number of tasks using the product. By recording, for example, the time taken to complete a task or the number of mistakes the user made, the result can also be described in numbers. However, the user's opinions are also important. This means that an objective comparison can be made between different design solutions. After the evaluation, the participants answer a number of questions. In this way, users' suggestions for changes are also captured.
The result of a usability evaluation includes descriptions of problems and their causes, as well as suggestions for improvement measures. The entire evaluation is normally documented using video.
Examples of Assignments
The lab has been used, among other things, to evaluate user interfaces for various types of Internet services, the user interfaces of different household appliances, and the design of manuals and instructions. Clients include, for example, the Traffic Office in Gothenburg, Electrolux, Saab-Scania, and Samtrafiken AB.
Research and Activities
The activities in the Usability Lab, or the Usability Laboratory, include research, contract research, assignments, and education. The research mainly concerns various issues related to HMI – or human-machine interaction – and the design of user interfaces.
External Assignments
The lab undertakes assignments from companies and organisations that want to evaluate their existing products or products under development regarding usability . This can involve consumer products, medical-technical equipment, communication equipment, websites, or manuals.
Educational Activities
The lab is also used in educational activities. Participants have the opportunity to develop their knowledge of systematic methods for studying the interaction between humans and technology. One example where the lab is used is the course Usability - Methods and Tools. The lab is also used in a large number of degree projects.
Projects
- Examples of projects where the usability lab has been used include:
- Evaluation of a website for public transport information from a usability perspective.
- Comparison between different modalities (speech, text, or a combination of speech and text) for real-time information to travelers.
- Evaluation of graphical interfaces for medical-technical equipment.
- Evaluation of manuals for household appliances (refrigerator/freezer, stove, oven).
- Comparison between the comfort properties of different car seats.
