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powerful and affordable for collecting a lot of usability data very efficiently. Other
tools such as Usabilla and Userlytics do a very nice job of integrating both qualitative
and quantitative data for a reasonable price. Other tools, such as UsabilityTesting.
com, allow you to essentially run qualitative-based, self-guided usabilty studies very
easily and quickly. And, of course, there are some very specialized tools that help
track clicks or mouse movements. It is very exciting that there are so many new tech-
nologies that the UX researcher can add to his/her suite of tools.
Analyzing open-ended responses has always been very luborious and inprec-
ise. It is all too common for researchers to disregard verbatim comments or just
randonly select a small sample for quotes. In the last few years verbatim analysis
software has improved greatly to the point that researchers now have the ability
to analyze open-ended responses.
1.6 TEN MYTHS ABOUT UX METRICS
There are many common myths about UX metrics. Some of these myths may
come from of a lack of experience with using metrics. Perhaps these myths arose
from a negative experience (such as someone from marketing screaming about
your sample size) or even other UX professionals complaining about the hassles
and costs associated with using metrics. Ultimately the source of these myths
doesn't matter. What matters is to separate fact from fiction. We've listed 10 of
the most common myths surrounding UX metrics and a few examples that dis-
pel these myths.
Myth 1: Metrics Take Too Much Time to Collect
At best, UX metrics can speed up the design process and, at worst, should not
impact the overall timeline. Metrics are collected quickly and easily as part of a nor-
mal iterative usability evaluation. Project team members may assume incorrectly
that full-blown surveys need to be launched or that you have to be testing in the lab
for two straight weeks to collect even basic UX metrics. In fact, there are some fairly
simple UX metrics you can collect as part of your everyday testing. Adding a few
extra questions at the beginning or end of each usability session will not impact the
length of the session. Participants can quickly answer a few key questions as part of
either a typical background questionnaire or follow-up activities.
Participants can also rate tasks for ease of use or satisfaction after each task
or at the end of all tasks. If you have easy access to a large group of target users
or a user panel, you can send out an e-mail blast with a few key questions, per-
haps with some screenshots. It's possible to collect data from hundreds of users
in just 1 day. Some data can also be collected quickly without even involving the
user. For example, you can report the frequency and severity of specific issues
quickly and easily with each new design iteration. The time it takes to collect
metrics doesn't have to be weeks or even days. Sometimes it's just a few extra
hours or even minutes.
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