Wireframe and Prototype

Working with the Peter, UX Content, I produced a wireframe and eventual prototype based on the recommendations made by Peter in his summary of the results using Axure.

The website that everyone had the most problems with was the Samsung website, so it was decided that we should focus on a redesign of that website.

Peter produced a low res prototype in Balsamiq.

The major problem participants had whilst using the site was trying to find phones. After going to the phone page, the user is presented with a long page filled with smartphones and accessories. Phones made in more than one colour appear as a separate item. The page presented to the user has 233 items on it.

Filtering is possible only on a few metrics: Operating system and whether or not the item in question is an accessory. As 59 of the 60 phones for sale are on the Android operating system, this filter is next to useless.

As each phone is listed separately for each colour shown, many phones appear multiple times with only the colour as the difference.

To better filter the products, check boxes were used to filter out ‘family ranges’ of phones. This makes it easy to include or exclude phones the customer knows they are not interested in. Checkboxes are not mutually exclusive, so limitless combinations of what is desire can be shown.

Secondly, the ability to filter on Price, Display Size and Memory was included, in the form of range sliders. Range sliders are particularly useful for price, as the prices of the phones are not values set a discrete intervals but over a wide range.

Previously, each phone was listed separated for each different colour that model was available in. Seeing as it is unlikely that one of the major deciding factors for buying a smartphone would be the colour, each phone is listed once, with small coloured boxes along the bottom that can be pressed to see images of the phone in different colours. This cuts down the number of items displayed and allows the user to easily see the colour options without scrolling through several phones.

A style guide was also produced, and is shown below.

Results

After writing the Best Practice Model methodology document, we conducted a usability test based on it. From this we gathered some interesting results.

One for the most interesting things is that after using the website, users personal biases towards brands overrode some of the gathered metrics. One participant with a strong affinity to the Apple brand rated their website above that of HTC, despite completing the tasks quicker and easier than on the HTC website.

The other interesting result was that the participant with the lowest baseline emotional engagement was the only one who significantly changed their view on a website after using it.

The next step it to write up a report that covers what we have done and our conclusions on the project as a whole.

UX Usability Testing for Emotional Engagement

This week marks the end of the usability testing. After the methodology document was written, it was necessary to test to see if the theory stood up to practice.

The testing was broken down into two phases. Phase One was an emotional engagement test. Research has shown that it is common in the advertising world to measure participant's emotional engagement level so they may be grouped into sets of high, medium and low emotional engagement. Doing so allows a greater understanding of the results gathered.

To measure baseline emotional engagement, users were shown adverts for three brands, whilst being video recorded. The video recording was then run through FaceReader 6 software which gave a readout on the emotional response of the participant, who were then grouped accordingly.

Originally it was proposed that a Neurosky Mind Reader would be used, which measures brain waves to gauge emotional engagement. However, the group had issues getting this to work. As a results, the FaceReader 6 software was used instead.

Phase Two of the testing was a standard usability test. Afterwards, however, the video recording made of the participants was run through the FaceReader 6 software to measure emotional engagement. The purpose of this was to see if participants grouped as high, medium or low engagement produced similar readings. If this was the case, it could be strongly argued that pre screening participants for their emotional engagement is worthwhile, and helps to contextualise the results gained from usability testing.

In addition to making participants watch adverts and partake in usability testing, participants were asked their thoughts on both the brands featured and their overall perception of brands general. This was measured before viewing the adverts, after viewing, and after UX usability testing.

Results of the testing will be analysed this coming week.

Emotional Engagement Technologies

The group has now tested both the Neurosky, Eye Tracker and Face Reader technologies. The FaceReader shows a range of emotions that the user experiences whilst being filmed. Problems were encountered with calibrating the software so that it measured neutral when the participant's expression was neutral. This was best evidenced by myself, when I used it the emotion that was read was 'angry' a lot of the time!

The FaceReader analyses a section of a recording of a person's face, showing what emotions they are currently displaying. However, it does not show how emotionally engaged a user is, which is want is more important for what we are trying to measure.

Tomorrow we hope to look at the technologies and make a decision as to which best serves our needs.

Wireframing - Using Axure

As part of our final deliverable, we have decided to include a prototype website that has been redesigned with respect to feedback gained during the usability testing portion of our proof of methodology.

As architect, my role encompasses the creation of wireframes for this prototype. Therefore, it was important to gain some experience in wireframing tools.

Axure is used by over 40% of UX professionals, and a educational licence is available for it - it seemed to be a good option for this project. A basic wireframe for a different site has been started. This is just to learn the basics so a decent prototype can be made later on once the recommendations for improvements to the website have been made.

Testing Methodologies

Through research it has been discovered that when conducting emotional engagement testing towards brands, PR companies first test the participants on their brand engagement and then assign them to a group based on their emotional response level. Some people have high emotional engagement towards brands, others much less. By grouping participants in this way, it is possible to see Usability testing with respect to  people's differing emotional engagement levels.

It is proposed that this can feed into the groups research, by pre testing people and working out their prior engagement levels, this will add more quality to the data gained from the usability study.

FaceReader

FaceReader 6 by Track Sys is a piece of software that uses a webcam to capture emotions a person is expressing. A demonstration of the software has been arranged so that the group can evaluate its suitability for the project. It's thought that if it works, it can help with establishing the kinds of emotions that users feel when both interacting with the websites and viewing the adverts.

http://www.tracksys.co.uk/product-details.php?id=20

Experimental design, the best practice model?

Having a presentation in front of everyone in the class along with Professor Vesna and Martin today,
we are still working on our Branded UX experimental design at the moment, the the simple before/ after or input/ output design will probably server as the base for our future testing/ experiment, we will know it very soon.

GSR related summary

• Modern GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) or SCR (Skin Conductance Response), measures

a.electrical conductance

b.sweat-gland activity

as an indication of psychological or physiological arousal.

• GSR has been proven that 

a.correlated with marketplace performance, can be used as a tool to predict sales performance, promise of higher predictive validity that data generated from consumer self-reports.

b.GSR readings are co-temporaneous with the presentation of the actual stimuli, they permit the precise identification of the more motivating and less motivating subelements.

• Since the GSR has been invented and used for over 130 years, it's trustworthy.

• GSR measurement equipment is highly sensitive and affordable.

• GSR readings may be analysis by computer for greater scale of test.

Aim of Project

After a lecture from Steve Webley, along some helpful feedback from both him and Raida confirming the direction we have to take, the aim of the project has been revised. The new aim is stated below.

The aim of this project is to suggest a best practice model for testing branded user experience by utilising existing methods. This model will be borne out of usability testing via different methods highlighted during research. After reviewing the data, an argument for a particular methodology will be put forth in the form of a report.

Setting a Target

After meeting on Friday, we decided to outline a brief overview of where we envisage this project heading. From this we can start to draft a scope of work document and divide the tasks between us.

"The way we envisage the project scope entails us taking three car brands - two luxury and one mass market, namely Land Rover, Jaguar and Ford - and comparing people's brand perception of these companies. We will compare and contrast our users' initial perceptions of the brand with their perceptions after direct experience via computer interface. 

In the case of difference, we will make suggestions as to how the user experience can be improved to match or exceed users' initial perceptions. Building on from Raida Shakiry's thesis, we will measure emotional engagement to the brands rather than just cognitive factors, such as usability. 

To measure emotional engagement, we will make use of EEG equipment in addition to more typical data gathering excerises such as questionaires and interviews, This will allow us to get data that in theory is less skewed by the biases in user response."

 From this statement the project planning can begin.