1 / 22

Enhancing Web Conversations with Virtual Margins: Usability Testing Insights

Learn about the utilization of virtual margins as a solution to remembering private conversations in a web-based forum setting. Understand the impact of interface design and explore usability testing results for effective knowledge building and interaction.

perdy
Download Presentation

Enhancing Web Conversations with Virtual Margins: Usability Testing Insights

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. IKIT 2005 Toronto Usability Testing Virtual Margins cjf@sfu.ca

  2. the context • Knowledge building environment • typically web based forum

  3. the situation • There are two dialogs: • people with each other • person with themself

  4. people with others • Conversation is public • others can read and contributeto the discussion

  5. person with themself • Conversation is privatenot sharedimpermanent

  6. the problem • How does one remember one's private conversations? • Memories are too short • Paper is too cumbersome • Forum interface is not designed for private conversations

  7. a solution • Forum interface element designed to support people's remembering • Similar to paper marginsthoughts maintain their context

  8. Virtual Margin • A private permanent spacepeople can record their thoughts • Retains its context

  9. how might this work? • Example 1:

  10. how might this work? • Example 1:

  11. how might this work? • Example 2:

  12. how might this work? • Example 2:

  13. which one is more usable? • In effect, does the position of the scroll bars matter?

  14. test group • Four grad studentstwo men & two women • Repurposed their Knowledge Forum postings • Prototype web application chose one of the two presentations

  15. result • One box vs. Two boxes did not matter • difference was not noticed

  16. more results • Comments • Questions • Requests • Difficulties

  17. comments • It's a thinking pad • This is a place to collect my thoughts

  18. questions • Trust: • How long do the comments stay? • How do comments move into the forum? • Features: • Why is input position always at the top? • Can I look at all the comments in one spot?

  19. requests • Margin not indicator at the view level • Summary view – notes “bubble up”

  20. difficulties • Cut and paste • Forum content and margin content reflow independently

  21. conclusion • Adding a virtual margin opens up new ways for people to interact with their own ideas as well as those of other forum participants • How would people really use this?

  22. the problem

More Related