The usability testing experience concerning the software to help people with dementia
From the testing procedure, it was discovered that the product was as user-centered as the team wanted it to be. The feedback from the user perspective implied that the product still carried some technicalities that not every user would find it easy to handle. Most patients with dementia are aged, majorly 60 years and above, so the product development was supposed to consider a user that old with just necessary technology skills. Some of the discovered rectifications included; the home page button on the mapping. The home page tab was to be made available on the map too, as that would make it easier for the user to navigate, they won’t have to go through the hassle of pressing back buttons each time. The schedule button also was noticed to contain two ‘plus’ buttons. That made it tedious and confusing for the user; the decision was to do away with the extra button to have a smooth and straightforward interface for the user. The same problem was seen with the menu bar icon. Instead of having it on almost every page, which would be confusing to the user, it was decided that the menu bar be placed on just fewer pages, not all of them. The geofence also wasn’t detailed enough. It lacked the green zone showing the safe zone and the red zone, which would show the region outside the safe zone. That one, too, was included. Having included that, the product was deemed easy for users from all levels of life to use in offering care to people with dementia.
That would make the project inclined towards user-centered design as initially required.
The task-based study in a controlled setting
A task-based study approach requires that the source of information, for instance, a learner, or consumer of a product, do the required activity within the target instructions (Huang 2016). The user was required to work on a prototype in an almost similar environment as a final product. But before that, they were required to sign a consent form to confirm their participation. The participation was to be done at their own wish and only when it was convenient for them. The goal of the study was to find out the product useability in a real environment. That would help improve software effectiveness and efficiency and also ensure customer satisfaction. The study would then help improve the design and functionality of the product.
The participant’s attitude turned out to be fine. They were willing to be part of the study without being coerced. That explains their willingness to participate in the project. After filling the consent form, the user was handed with a prototype to work on under the team’s watch. It was discovered that at some point, the user had slight trouble navigating the software. The team was patient enough with the user by giving them time to operate the product. The feedback gotten from the task-based study was that there were elements of the software that were to be improved. The software was to be made a bit simpler free form the engineering technicalities. This ensured that the app was easy and simple for any user to navigate. The task matrix entailed support from another member of the team, offering help in setting up the prototype, plus helping in carrying out observations during the study.