#11 web testing & evaluation

Assalamualaikum..

 For this class, we've learned about web testing and evaluation.

There are a few types of errors that can be found in our website, which are:

1. design flaws : user interface problems or suggestions, such as proposed new features, relabeling buttons, and screen layouts 
2. content errors: inaccuracies, data with formatting problems, or data of poor quality in some other respect (photo image quality, text misspellings)
3. Software/system defects: commonly called 'bugs,' these are technical problems encountered when trying to run and operate the site

There are also several types of testing that we can do to our website. The types of testings are:

• functionality testing (i.e., unit, integration, regression, compatibility)
• layout testing
• load testing
• link testing
• usability testing
• Alpha/Beta testing
• Peer testing
• Focus group testing
• Usability testing

Testing is a very important step in developing a website, to avoid errors. When the user face difficulties in browsing a website they will easily get bored, they will just leave and search for other similar website. That is why usability testing is very important.

Usability is defined by five quality components:

•  Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?
• Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?
• Memorability: When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency?
• Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors?
• Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design?

Evaluation

Evaluation can be categorized as formative evaluation and summative evaluation. To understand more about formative evaluation, we can use this analogy:

"When the cook tastes the soup, that’s formative; when the guests taste the soup, that’s summative.“

So, formative evaluation is normally done during the development process, where changes and improvement can be done by the developer. For summative evaluation, the process is usually done at the end of the development process, and usually after the end user use the product.

There are several types of tools that can be used to evaluate our product/website, which are:

• Observation, interviews (Structured/Non Structured)
• Surveys, Focus Groups, Analysis, Reports, and Dialogue with Users
• Form, Checklist or Rubric

To understand more about the difference between each tools, we are given an individual task and we have to present it in the next 2 weeks class. The task is, we need to summarize the procedure to evaluate our website according to the notes provided by this website. Each one of us are given different types of evaluation tools. So we have 5 different presentation topic that will be presented in the next 2 weeks class. Dr.Noraffandy find this website is very handy because it relates the research methodology with our area. I haven't read the notes yet, but i think there must be a reason why Dr still remember this website, even he had graduate for his PhD long time a go. I was told that this website was introduced to him during his study time by his professor.

Ok. I guess this is the most long entry that i've ever written, considering there is no picture attached. huhu..Time to go to sleep peeps. Have a good day everyone. Assalamualaikum...

#10 Visual Design and 50% prototype

Assalamualaikum..

Yes. Today is the day. The day we reveal our website to the class for formative assessment by the lecturer and fellow friends. But, before the presentation start, we learn about visual design first. Visual  design is like a planning, on how your website will look. A few criteria that need to be considered in visual design are:

• What colours will look good together on your site?
• What fonts or styles you will use for the written part of your web pages?
• What graphics and multimedia effects are needed?
•  How will all of these elements be combined or arrange into an attractive layout?

To ease the process of imagining our website, it is advisable to make a rough sketches/thumbnail sketches.

If you think thumbnail sketches and storyboard is similar, you are wrong. these two serve different purposes. While storyboard helps on website's interaction, thumbnail sketches help the developer to focus on how web pages will look.

Ok. That is all  for today's lesson. Now, come the part of our 50% prototype presentation. Overall, we got both positive comments and constructive critics. The most important thing is Dr. can see our application of Inquiry based learning in our website. That is good enough for me. Other critics that we receive are the layout of our website doesn't symbolise chemistry, the font that we use is kind of small, and our explanation is so long that might make students feel distracted and bored.

We are given around 2 weeks to make some improvement to our website, before we test and evaluate our website. Hopefully, we can finish this project early, and pass this subject with flying colors.. Amiin...

#9 Semester Break

Assalamualaikum..

Finally! Its the semester break yowww!! haha..

 

Sounds fun, right? Actually, even if we don't have to attend classes, we got a lot of things to do. For instance, I have to finish up developing our website as soon as possible, because right after the semester break, we will present our 50% prototype to the class. Got a lots of things to do..... so.. yeah. Good luck my dear friends.. For those who enjoying their semester break, have fun guys.. Envy you!

#8 Information design

Assalamualaikum..

Today, we have submitted our design document. Hopefully our assignment can meet the requirement and we can get full marks for it.huhu.

Today is our first class with Dr.Noraffandy. I've never have class with him before, but i do recognize him, as he is the head of our department. Today, he taught us about Information Design to Interaction Design. Dr. also stress the important of interaction design, and brings a few examples of products that require interaction design.

There are 5 things to think in Infomation Desgin, which are:

• Message: What information you wish to share?
• Audience: Whom do you wish to share?
• Purpose: How and why do you want to share?
• Background: What does your intended user already know about?
• Structure: How can your message be organized most effectively?

Other than that, Dr. also stress the important of storyboard in our development.. For those who don't know what storyboard is, it is actually a plan of how our intended website should look, with the details of how the navigation and the placement of the information should be. It's sounds like storyboard is a complex thing right, but actually, the storyboard is juat a simple drawing that looks something like this:

 

Ok. I think that is all for today's post.. Have a great semester break everyone!