As a quick note, the screen captures that are of the entire screen are mostly for frame of reference in the instructions so being able to read the words on the screen is not essential although I will keep tweaking to try and get a better screen capture.
I changed my dimensions around so my expert is 7" by 22" and the novice is 5.3" by 40". This way both can be used on screen while performing the task. However, the beginner version is meant to be able to stay on screen with the task the entire time with little hindrance to the user. The expert version speaks more in depth to the functionality of the program and torrents themselves and assumes the user has more computer experience than the beginner version.
The usability survey that I made is attached as a word doc and is here at the bottom as well. Whichever is more convenient for the tester, just please comment back on this blog with your answers.
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Usability Test for Using Torrents
DIRECTIONS: please go through both sets of instructions then answer the following questions in a comment posted to the “rough draft” blog this is attached to.
1-What category would you place yourself in for these instructions (expert or novice)? Why?
2-How long did it take you to complete the task?
3-Did any of the steps ever seems confusing or need better explaining? Explain.
4-Is it easy to return to the document and quickly find certain information about part of the process? How so?
5-Was there an obvious sectioning off of each step? If not, why?
6-Does the format of the document help or hinder in any way? How?
7-Does the layout of the document allow it to flow well with the process? If not, why?
8-Is the technical language that I use proper considering the audience? If not, why?
9-Do you have any suggestions, comments, or questions about my instructions? If so, please list them.
Useability- Torrents
1-What category would you place yourself in for these instructions (expert or novice)? Why?
Expert. I’ve been using torrents since their inception and use it regularly.
2-How long did it take you to complete the task?
5-10 minutes
3-Did any of the steps ever seems confusing or need better explaining? Explain.
I think on the beginner instructions you might talk about stopping the download, or deleting it from the torrent program. A beginner user might try and move the file from the desktop while it’s still downloading and not know why they get an error message.
4-Is it easy to return to the document and quickly find certain information about part of the process? How so?
Yes, the index at the top shows the user where everything is placed in the document.
5-Was there an obvious sectioning off of each step? If not, why?
Yes, individually numbered with a matching screen shot.
6-Does the format of the document help or hinder in any way? How?
No, I like the disclaimer about downloading shared files from the internet. Might help the beginning user who doesn’t know all the specifics.
7-Does the layout of the document allow it to flow well with the process? If not, why?
Yes flows well, reminds me of a blog post. The text is easy to read and the pictures show the user exactly what to expect.
8-Is the technical language that I use proper considering the audience? If not, why?
Yes, in the beginner instructions you lay the groundwork for the terminology and then use it throughout the document. The same is true with the expert instructions, a higher level of terminology is used effectively.
9-Do you have any suggestions, comments, or questions about my instructions? If so, please list them.
The only suggestions I can offer are to try and get some crisper screen shots. Most of them are great, but a few are grainy and while you can still see what to do it doesn’t look the best it could.
Usbility
I plan to use your instructions and check for usability.
Beginner Usability Test
1-What category would you place yourself in for these instructions (expert or novice)? Why? I would have to say I am a novice user because I have only used torrent software one time before. Although I did have utorrent already on my computer so you could say expertish.
2-How long did it take you to complete the task?
Since I already had uTorrent it only took a couple minutes. It took longer to find what I wanted to download that it did to get it going.
3-Did any of the steps ever seems confusing or need better explaining? Explain.
No I felt that your steps were helpful although you may want to decrease the size of your screen captures a little so it is easier to read the actual steps.
4-Is it easy to return to the document and quickly find certain information about part of the process? How so?
Yes I thought it was relatively easy to go back and forth from the process and instructions without losing my spot.
5-Was there an obvious sectioning off of each step? If not, why?
I’m not sure what the question is that you are asking, but I felt that each step seemed to be in its right place.
6-Does the format of the document help or hinder in any way? How?
Like I said before the only problem is that the screen captures could be a little smaller to focus on the actually written instructions.
7-Does the layout of the document allow it to flow well with the process? If not, why?
Yes the format seemed to be fine in this type of instruction set. It was easy to go through the instructions step by step and perform the tasks.
8-Is the technical language that I use proper considering the audience? If not, why?
Yes the beginner set was very well worded so that someone who just started using such programs and terminology could use these instructions easily.
9-Do you have any suggestions, comments, or questions about my instructions? If so, please list them.
I have no further questions or comments the only thing that didn’t seem consistent with the instructions was the screen asking what parts I need to download. I don’t think it ever came up, but I know what it is and all that.
Expert Usability
I am not sure how to comment on the expert differently than the beginner set, so I will just make a comment here. I think that the expert set flows better since you fixed the problem I had with the novice set which was the screen captures being too large. I think that the expert instructions work well with someone who knows a little about the program and or freeware type programs. If I were going to do this again I would start with the expert instructions since I think the beginner instructions are a little easy for myself. I think that both sets have their advantages for the two separate crowds they go with. Overall I think that these instructions are useful and they make using uTorrent pretty easy. Good job overall
Bobby