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Home > Evaluation
Methods
Usability Evaluation Methods
Usability evaluation methods were first described in formal presentations
in 1990 at the CHI (Computer Human Interaction) '90 conference where
papers were published on heuristic evaluation (Nielsen and Molich, 1990)
and cognitive walkthroughs (Lewis et al., 1990).
Since that time,
several
methods have been developed to evaluate product usability. These methods,
which were originally developed in the area of computer usability, fall
into two basic categories – evaluation of the product’s usability by the
product’s developers and usability professionals (referred to as expert
reviews) and evaluation through the end user of the product (referred to
as user testing). In the case of testing usability of aviation technical
documentation, the user’s or maintenance technician’s unique skill set would be
considered expert as well as a user. This is one of the major
differences in development of user evaluation tools for the technical
writer versus the product developer for a consumer market.
The Evaluation Methods
selected for use with aviation technical documentation are:
For
User and Task Analyses:
For Expert Reviews:
For User Testing:
The Evaluation Toolbox is designed to give
you a comprehensive overview of the various types of user evaluation
methods to aid your understanding and use of each method. By clicking on
the evaluation methods above, each will be
summarized using a comprehensive framework to allow for your use and
understanding the various techniques. Forms to use during testing are
located in the Evaluation Tools section. Also, you may find
more information on these methods by referring to the books, articles and
websites cited on the References list and
Useful Resources pages.
(Adapted from
Pieratti, 1995) |
