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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    KDEvaluation
From:       Matt Clark <matt () flowine ! com>
Date:       2001-08-29 16:30:47
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Hi Jono and all,

Well thought out email, with a good starting point.  I have been working the 
past couple of weeks on the user test (we are going to have to come up with 
clear language on this, as I was calling it a usability test, but this term 
is now being applied to the entire project).  Anyways, progress is comming 
along nicely on creating a test that is flexible enough to kit a moving 
target like KDE.

I like the structure you have laid out with Usability Maintainers each 
managing a report on a section of KDE.  The Action plan I have for the test 
below doesn't incorperate that idea, so it will need to be updated to work 
within the maintianer framework.

O.K., the action plan for usability tests

First, some definitions and discussion on general organization
Study 
Studies will be downloadable from the web site.
It will take about an hour to complete.
It will be multiple choice as much as possible to be db compatible
Each section, called a 'module', pertains to one section of KDE, like Kmail
Modules are comprised of 'focuses' which are specific tasks or icons to study

Modules
Modules are the same idea as what Usability Maintainers work with.  There 
will be lots of modules, one for each program, but not all modules will make 
it on every usability study that gets downloaded.  It is an easy script to 
drop in new modules when someone comes to download a new study.  Each module 
will have a KDE version number assigned to it.  This will be important when 
there are several versions of KDE available for download.  One for KDE 2.0, 
2.1, and 2.2.  All modules included in the 2.0 study won't have seen 
significant upgrades since that version, so results from that study will 
still be relevent to current development projects.

There will be the same beginning module in every study, Jennifer was working 
on this one, that gets user background, and attempts to catagorize them.  
Accuracy in identifying what type of user is doing the study really is the 
key to getting meaninfull results.

Focuses
A focus is a particular task within the module, like attach a picture to an 
email, or analyze the address book button and guess at its meaning.  
Eventually, my goal is to have these created by developers who are working on 
that particular part of KDE.  There will be a web page where they can submit 
a form describing the focus, and then work with a study coordinater to 
develop the focus.  I have most of this web page already written.

Now for the action plan that we have been working with.

Phase 1
Get a workable initial study - Beta 1
This study is for KDE 2.2 only
Write the HowTo documents
  HowTo write a focus
  HowTo coordinate the study
  HowTo administer the study
(Quite a bit of this is already done)

Phase 2
Initiate developer involvement study - Beta 2
This study is still just for KDE 2.2
It is also still hand generated, meaning Maintainers hand pick focuses for 
their module.
Impliment web page to generate focus and report results

Phase 3
Dynamically generated study - Version 1.0
This will be the first full featured study
Several versions downloadable
There will be lots of focuses and modules that will be handled by a C++ 
script.
Further development on reporting results back to developers

Phase 4
Port the study to a self administered Web study
This would allow users to come to the web site, and take the study themselves.
Jabber, Jabber, Jabber!

I think that the most important feature I have been trying to incorperate 
into this study is developer involvement.  Getting them involved does two 
things for us.  One, it keeps our study relevent to current development 
projects.  Two, it keeps them interested in what we are doing.  We can have 
the most meaningfull study around, but if no one is listening, what's the 
point?

Well, that's a snapshot of where I am with this thing right now.  It needs a 
lot of reworking to fit in with the structure Jono has laid out for us, but 
the end product is going to be really usefull.

Looking forward to all ya'all's input.
Matt
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