Beta user test...

        

Users:
I used two students in the EDTEC 541 course, who are also working on web pages so they are familiar with our abilities and limitations as web designers: Joaquin and Shannon.

Think Aloud Task:
Similar to the Alpha test I had the participants talk through as they clicked and went thought the site. Having been familiar with the Alpha test they were knowledgeable about their task.

Summary of Think Aloud Task:
One student found the site to be too plain, and liked the colorful heading on the index page, but thought the font did it show well enough because it goes over light and dark images. He also found the text to be explanatory but too long. He liked the links to other people’s pages but thought we should create pages for people who did not have personal portfolios.  He also pointed out some minor grammatical errors.

 The second person was more vocal. She found the site to be well organized and enjoyed the simplicity of the pages. However she did find the text lengthy in some parts, but enjoyed the reviews. Despite skimming the content she did look through all the pictures and even suggested putting it on loop.

Summary of Post-Test Interview:
In the post-test interview the fist person really stressed that the banners were too plain and though we should include some picture, or logo.

Both thought that having the external links open, as external pages would be better than opening within the existing page.  The liked the slideshows that they are in auto play yet you can still click through if they wanted to scroll faster. They both especially enjoyed that the friends have external links, thought it was an “awesome” idea.

Findings to be Implemented:
The following updates will be made:

• Fix the textual errors.
• Change the banner color on the homepage to show up better.
• Make the external links open in external pages.
• Add a logo to each heading for the linked pages.

Findings that will not be Implemented:

• Will not add a full picture to each linked page because will be too cluttered.
• Also will not shorten the text, because the target audience of the website, our family and friends, will appreciate the added information. And if not they can just skip it too.
• Finally the slideshows will not be placed on loop because it would be too distracting. If viewers want to view I again they can simply click repeat.