Prioritizing Improvements
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Introduction to Prioritizing Improvements
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Welcome class! Today, we will discuss how to prioritize improvements based on the feedback we received during user testing. Why do you think it's important to prioritize issues after testing?
It helps us focus on the most serious problems first!
Yeah! If we don't fix the critical issues, users might just find it unusable.
Exactly! We categorize issues into three severity types: critical, major, and minor. Can anyone tell me what a 'critical' issue is?
Itβs something that stops users from completing their tasks!
Spot on! Critical issues need immediate attention.
Evaluating Frequency and Impact
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Next, let's explore how to evaluate the frequency and impact of issues. Why do you think these factors are important?
Understanding how often an issue happens helps us know how much it affects users.
And knowing how serious it is helps us decide what to fix first!
Exactly! We want to focus on high-frequency, high-impact issues first to improve user satisfaction effectively.
Categorizing Issues
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Now, letβs categorize usability issues. How do you think we can identify a 'major' issue?
It causes confusion or a lot of difficulty but doesnβt stop us completely.
Correct! Major issues need fixing, but they're not as urgent as critical ones. Can someone give an example of a minor issue?
Like if a button doesnβt look appealing but still works?
Exactly! Minor issues can be annoying, but they donβt severely impact usability.
Using the Prioritization Matrix
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Let's put this all together in a prioritization matrix! How might we plot issues based on frequency and impact?
We could make a graph with frequency on one side and impact on the other to visualize it!
Great idea! This visual aid helps us see which issues to tackle first. Can you think of any reasons we should prioritize an issue marked as high frequency but low impact?
Maybe itβs common enough to annoy users, even if itβs not critical?
Exactly! Sometimes fixing minor annoyances can significantly boost user satisfaction.
Deciding on Improvements
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Finally, after prioritizing issues, how should we decide on which improvements to implement?
We should start with critical issues that affect many users!
And we can gradually work down the list to major and then minor problems.
Yes! By focusing on high-impact areas, we ensure our changes have the best chance of enhancing usability.
Introduction & Overview
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Quick Overview
Standard
In 'Prioritizing Improvements', key issues identified through user testing are categorized based on their frequency and severity, allowing designers to focus on the most critical problems first. This systematic approach ensures efficient and effective enhancements to prototypes or designs.
Detailed
Prioritizing Improvements
In this section, design teams are introduced to the methodology of prioritizing improvements based on user testing results. The process begins with organizing usability issues that emerged during testing. Key steps include identifying the frequency of each issue's occurrence, assessing their severity, and using this information to plot each issue along a prioritization matrix.
Key Elements of Prioritization
- Frequency and Impact: Each issue identified from usability tests is evaluated on two axes: how frequently it happens (frequency) and how severe the impact is on user experience (impact). This dual-axis system helps in identifying which issues should be addressed first.
- Categorization of Issues: Issues are categorized into three severity levels:
- Critical: These prevent successful task completion and must be addressed immediately.
- Major: These cause significant confusion or difficulty but donβt completely obstruct tasks.
- Minor: These lead to mild annoyance or confusion but are not crucial for the product's functionality.
- Decision-Making: After categorization, teams can prioritize by focusing on issues that are both frequent and critical first, ensuring efficient use of resources during the design iteration process.
This section emphasizes the need for a systematic approach in evaluating user feedback, helping designers make informed decisions about improvements that will enhance usability and overall user satisfaction.
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Identifying Issues and Frequencies
Chapter 1 of 2
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Chapter Content
Issue Frequency Severity Priority
Unclear search icon 3/5 Critical High
Slow highlight interaction 5/5 Major High
Font size setting hidden 4/5 Major High
Detailed Explanation
In this first step of prioritizing improvements, you need to document the usability issues you've identified during user testing. This includes how many users faced each issue (frequency), the severity of each issue (how much it affects user experience), and a priority level (how urgently it needs to be addressed). For instance, if 3 out of 5 users found the search icon unclear, this counts as a frequency of 3/5. If users were unable to complete critical tasks because of this confusion, it receives a 'Critical' severity rating.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine planning a restaurant menu based on customer feedback. If customers frequently mention that a dish is too salty (3 out of 5 tables) and it makes the dish less enjoyable (critical issue), itβs crucial to adjust the salt levels. Therefore, just like the dish, identifying which issues are frequently reported and their impact helps prioritize which changes to make first.
Establishing Decision Criteria
Chapter 2 of 2
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Chapter Content
Decision: First three issues get immediate attention.
Detailed Explanation
Deciding which problems to tackle first involves looking at both the data on frequency and severity. In this case, the three identified issuesβthe unclear search icon, slow highlight interaction, and hidden font size settingβare categorized as needing immediate attention due to their high impact on users. This means you will prioritize solving these issues before moving on to others that may not be as critical.
Examples & Analogies
Think of tidying up your room. If there are dirty dishes, clothes on the floor, and dust everywhere, you'd likely start with the dishes first since they can lead to bigger problems (like pests) if left unchecked, and tackling them will result in a more pleasant environment more quickly.
Key Concepts
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Prioritization Matrix: A visual tool used to categorize issues based on frequency and severity.
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Critical Issues: Problems that prevent users from performing tasks effectively.
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Major Issues: Challenges that cause significant confusion but are not task-blocking.
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Minor Issues: User annoyances that are not crucial to product functionality.
Examples & Applications
If a user repeatedly fails to log in because of a confusing error message, this is a critical issue needing immediate resolution.
A major issue might involve difficulty in finding the help section, which confuses users but does not stop their progress completely.
A minor issue could be the color scheme of buttons not appealing to users, which does not significantly affect usability.
Memory Aids
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Rhymes
Frequency, high or low, will help show, what improvements must quickly flow.
Stories
Once a user found a hidden button causing them confusion. After reorganizing by frequency and impact, the team turned the dread into joyful interaction.
Memory Tools
C for Critical, M for Major, M for Minor - Remember: Fix the Critical first, before minor things linger.
Acronyms
F.I.C
Frequency
Impact
Category - Use this to prioritize.
Flash Cards
Glossary
- Usability Test
A method used to evaluate the ease of use of a particular product or prototype by testing it with real users.
- Critical Issue
An issue that prevents users from successfully completing tasks.
- Major Issue
An issue that causes confusion or difficulty but does not completely obstruct task completion.
- Minor Issue
An issue that leads to mild annoyance but does not significantly affect overall usability.
- Frequency
How often an issue occurs during usability testing.
- Impact
The severity of an issue on user experience.
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