Assignment Bloopers: some of the important ones and how to avoid them

The following shows some of the important bloopers that can be avoided in order to complete a clear usability report that relates from start to finish.

Blooper – definitions / explanations
This means common errors and misconceptions
-noun
1. Informal. An embarrassing mistake, as one spoken over the radio or TV.
2. Radio, a receiving set that generates from its antenna radio-frequency signals that
interfere with other nearby receivers.
3. Also, bloop. Baseball.
a. Also called loopers. A fly ball that carries just beyond the infield.
b. a pitched ball with backspin, describing a high arc in fight.

1. No users. For your user studies and usability evaluations, you ‘used’ yourself.

How to fix:
- Use pictures / photos of your self performing the task and asking questions and referring to
you’re the method chosen.(explain why you could not get anyone apart from yourself.)
- Can pay user to gain interest and complete the task that you want done.
- Another simple alternative, which you might not need to pay any users, is. Asking any
family members or friends to do the usability task.

2. User studies are claimed, with no evidence. Who to say it isn’t all made up?

How to fix:
- Include in the report images or video, of the users performing the usability task.
- Include a questionnaire in the report, showing that users gave you feed back. (Important:
questionnaire in original writing).
- Refer any findings halfway through your report.
- Can also provide the user with the consent form, which they can sign.

3. A conceptual framework is introduced, but never used.

How to fix:
- Can add different stages and key points at the back of the report, in order to relate your
findings to the framework chosen.
- If you have introduced it, use it or don’t introduce it at all if you won’t use it.

4. A design method, and / or a usability method, is introduced but never used.

How to fix:
- If introduced keep in relating your findings to the usability method chosen.
- If you introduced it use it or don’t use it, when not introduced.

5. Material is introduced (conceptual frameworks, methods, etc.)
without explanation of what they are, how they work, and who are
the key academic sources.

How to fix:
- Research the material in question introduces and try to understand before using.
- Make it a short summary. (not too complicated).

6. Discussion of prototypes with no evidence of the prototypes.

How to fix:
- Make sketches of evidence
- Keep reference. (Can google to find out how to reference).

7. Discussion of what users said with no transcripts.

How to fix:
- Can provide a video without people talking and doing the usability task.
- Can include user comments on the transcripts.

8. No references.

How to fix:
- Can google to find out how to reference.