大象传媒

User-testing the iPlayer

• By Paul Crichton
• 4 May 07, 08:16 PM

Recently, I met with Mark Howell from the User Experience Design team to discuss how user-testing fits into the development of the 大象传媒 iPlayer.

User-testing is a fascinating part in the development life cycle. Rather than just guessing how someone might use the iPlayer, user-testing involves studying how it actually is used, identifying what works well and what doesn 't.

The first stage in the process is to meet with the people involved in creating the iPlayer, like the copywriters and the designers, in order to identify areas to explore. From that, a number of scenarios are drawn up to test questions that arise from the consultation.

It might be, for instance, that the team is unsure if 'Gardner's World' is most sensibly listed as a factual or educational programme. This can be tested with a task that asks users to find the programme. This is the kind of issue where user testing comes into its own. Grey areas where both options might seem equally sensible can be resolved by seeing how users actually go about finding the programme.

Testing has been carried out with small groups of between eight to ten people. Groups are usually representative of both genders and all ages. The one thing they have in common is that they can be described as 'novice' users. It is important to the 大象传媒 that the iPlayer is as simple as possible to use, regardless of how technically literate someone is. So what better way to put that to the test than with novice users?

There is more to user-testing than just asking, "Does this look OK to you?" Users are given the tasks to complete and as they do so, they are asked to 'think out loud' and talk through what they are doing and explain their reasoning as they go.

The responses are then assessed and grouped into any themes running through a majority of user experiences. This information is then taken to the stakeholders for discussion. It may be that solutions are identified straight away, or that more research needed. User-testing is very much an iterative process, and the 大象传媒 have carried out several rounds already.

User-testing has had a significant impact on the iPlayer. Originally, the starting page was to be called "Highlights". But users found this too confusing, and disorientated them when navigating. Consequently, the starting page will be known as the home page. Sometimes, it is just better to meet users expectations, rather than do something too clever.

Some specific testing is also planned for other user groups as well, including children and those with accessibility issues. What all of this means is that whilst other media players may be effectively doing their testing in a live environment at your inconvenience, when the iPlayer formally launches, then it should work well for all from day one.

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