- Remove your personal preferences (subjectivity) from the equation as much as possible.
- Enable persons with different backgrounds (designers, developers, clients) to share a common understanding of the site.
- Create ground rules for comparisons of the site to those of competitors, or past development efforts.
- Provide your clients with a fact-based, visual representation of their site"s benefits and limitations.
Measuring the User Experience
As mentioned above, the user experience is made up of four interdependent elements:
- branding
- usability
- functionality
- content
But, how can we quantify and measure these seemingly intangible elements?
The methodology is quite simple. We separate our analysis into four sections -- one for each of the four elements of the user experience. For each of these elements, we create a series of statements or parameters against which the Website in question will be measured. A scale of 1 to X is created for each of the statements; we give each statement a score within this range.
Once you"ve completed this first part of the analysis, you should have a score for each of the statements in each of the four sections.
In the sample analysis attached to this article, we only used five statements or parameters for each element. Consequently, we work with a 20-point scale, so that the maximum total score of the site is 100. So, if we added an extra five statements or parameters to each element, we"d rate each on a 10-point scale.
Below, find a brief explanation of each of the elements and the statements or parameters used in the sample analysis.
Branding
Branding includes all the aesthetic and design-related items within a Website. It entails the site"s creative projection of the desired organizational image and message. Statements used to measure branding can include:
- The site provides visitors with an engaging and memorable experience.
- The visual impact of the site is consistent with the brand identity.
- Graphics, collaterals and multimedia add value to the experience.
- The site delivers on the perceived promise of the brand.
- The site leverages the capabilities of the medium to enhance or extend the brand.
Functionality
Functionality includes all the technical and "behind the scenes" processes and applications. It entails the site"s delivery of interactive services to all end users, and it"s important to note that this sometimes means both the public as well as administrators. Statements used to measure a site"s functionality can include:
- Users receive timely responses to their queries or submissions.
- Task progress is clearly communicated (e.g., success pages or email updates).
- The Website and applications adhere to common security and privacy standards.
- Online functions are integrated with offline business processes.
- The site contains administration tools that enhance administrator efficiency.
