Website Usability of Coventry University Students Union Assignment

Website Usability of Coventry University Students Union - Assignment Example There are different ways usability can be determined for a given software product. These different ways are known as the usability evaluation methods. They include usability testing, usability inspection, and lastly, usability inquiry.In usability testing, we look at how users use the software product or website to accomplish various tasks. Then, as evaluators, we use the different results we receive from the whole process to determine whether the user interface is usable enough to support the demands of users as they go about accomplishing their different tasks. Under usability testing there are several other different sub-methods (Nielsen, 1994). The sub methods include co-discovery learning, coaching method, question-asking protocol, performance measurement, shadowing method, thinking aloud protocol, remote testing, and lastly, teaching method.The next testing method or evaluation method for the usability of a software product or a website is usability inspection. In this case, as the software developer, or as a user and or a professional in the usability field, we look at the various aspects of the user interface that are related to each other. There are different ways of doing this. We could decide to do this using pluralistic walk through, or using cognitive walkthroughs, or heuristic evaluation, or feature inspection, and lastly, through perspective based inspection. The last evaluation method is done through, usability inquiry. In this evaluation method, as professionals and evaluators, we talk to the users.... Under usability testing there are several other different sub-methods (Nielsen, 1994). The sub methods include co-discovery learning, coaching method, question-asking protocol, performance measurement, shadowing method, thinking aloud protocol, remote testing, and lastly, teaching method. The next testing method or evaluation method for the usability of a software product or a website is usability inspection. In this case, as the software developer, or as a user and or a professional in the usability field, we look at the various aspects of the user interface that are related to each other. There are different ways of doing this. We could decide to do this using pluralistic walk through, or using cognitive walkthroughs, or heuristic evaluation, or feature inspection, and lastly, through perspective based inspection. The last evaluation method is done through, usability inquiry. In this evaluation method, as professionals and evaluators, we talk to the users to find out information ab out what they like about the product we are giving them. In this process, the target or aim is to get to know the dislikes, the likes, the needs, as well as the understanding of the users. This can be done by watching them use the system to do real work, or through talking to them and asking them questions and noting down the answers. Additionally, the questions could be written or asked aurally. The different ways inquiry evaluation takes place is through, focus groups, field observation, interviews, questionnaires, proactive field study and so on and so forth. www.cusu.org is the website run by the Coventry University Students Union. The Coventry University Students’ Union, abbreviated CUSU, represents the voice of the students