Visual Communicator / Creative Strategist insight
Usability is more than just metrics. The real value that we (human) writers bring to a usability test is the humanistic element. A computer can crunch numbers, but a human schooled in rhetorical theory can see past the numbers and make smart decisions, based on experience and expertise as communicators, about how to interpret the data.
As a skilled creative strategist, I identified the need and opportunity to create a meaningful usability test, then built and implemented the test. As a visual communicator, I built a robust report of the data which included a clear visual hierarchy, over a dozen tables, scannable copy, and annotated screenshots. The final report was designed with a keen eye on typography, page layout, and design which all worked toward building a relationship with the reader and the credibility and ethos of the author.
Problem
Insights to the audience of adult online learners were based on anecdotal information, and while that information was useful, there was no way to qualify or quantify it in any meaningful or actionable way.
Creative Strategy
- Develop and conduct a heuristic evaluation and critical discourse analysis.
- Create a persona from that evaluation and analysis.
- Identify and recruit five subjects to participate in the usability test.
- Conduct a Concurrent Think Aloud (CTA) protocol with audio recording and note taking included.
Visual Communication
- Design, write, and build all of the tests, forms, and documents that encompassed the entire scope of the test including:
- Critical Discourse Analysis
- Heuristic Evaluation
- Persona
- Likert-type Scale Evaluation
- Design, write, and produce a 60-page report, delivered as a PDF file . The report was laid out and designed with a clear visual hierarchy.
- The Vice Chancellor and professional staff in the UMass Dartmouth Online & Continuing Education office.