Userfocus Usability Newsletter, February 2009

Welcome to the Valentines edition of the Userfocus usability newsletter.

Message from the Editor
Feature Article: Creating a Usability Dashboard
Resource update: Web Accessibility tools
Upcoming training courses

Message from the Editor

Call us unashamed romantics, but our contribution to Valentines Day is a benchmark usability test comparing a couple of Valentines florists web sites. We use the data from a large-sample usability test to explore ways of presenting usability test results in a way that's more engaging for managers. Our solution: a graphical "usability dashboard" that summarises the three key ISO usability measures. Read our feature article for more details and to download the full report.

We have also updated our list of tools that support web accessibility audits. The update includes links to some WCAG 2 resources plus a host of Firefox plug-ins. These are the resources we use in our own consulting work and we find all of these tools indispensable.

Finally, we still have some places left on next week's "Expert Review" training course in London. If you're looking to consolidate your skills in the area, this course will give you the practical skills you need to start evaluating web sites. You'll find more details in the links below.

Happy Valentines Day.

Feature Article: Creating a Usability Dashboard

We're often told that senior managers don't have the time to read a detailed report describing the findings from a usability test. This means our thoroughly argued, carefully analysed and clearly presented 60-page report could have no effect on improving the product or changing the culture. How can we better engage managers with our data? Read the article in full: Creating a Usability Dashboard

Resource update: Web Accessibility tools

There is no shortage of accessibility tools on the web. The problem is identifying the ones that are really useful. Here is a collection of on-line tools that we use in our day-to-day consultancy work to support accessibility reviews. Read the article in full: Web Accessibility tools.

Usability Training: Now Booking

How to carry out a usability expert review, February 17 2009, London

For people in design teams who need to spot usability problems in prototypes and finished products, "How to carry out a usability expert review" is a 1-day seminar that teaches delegates cost-effective methods to evaluate designs. Unlike courses in usability testing, this seminar teaches delegates how to find and fix usability problems without involving end users. More information about this training course: Expert review training.

How to design and implement web surveys, March 10 2009, London

For user experience researchers who create web-based questionnaires, "How to design and implement web surveys" is a 1-day seminar that shows delegates how to create and analyse valid and reliable web surveys. Unlike standard courses on questionnaire design, this seminar shows delegates how to avoid the specific bloopers, biasses and pitfalls that bedevil most web surveys. More information about this training course: Web survey training.