The GEI Usability Lab has been financed by the Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture since 2021 and its aim is to investigate, and where necessary improve, the user friendliness of the GEI’s digital tools and services.
The lab has a wide range of equipment and has already carried out a number of usability studies analysing users’ experiences of the digital tools and platforms. The team in the Usability Lab have taken part in a number of training courses and will be able to qualify as ‘UXQB® Certified Professional for Usability and User Experience - Foundation Level‘.
The GEI Usability Lab will open in spring 2023 for further studies.
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Aims
A series of usability studies are planned in order to analyse the user experience (UX) of all tools and platforms developed by the GEI, and consequently improve them. The GEI Usability Lab provides the team with the opportunity to observe, document and analyse the interaction between users and the digital products and services in a controlled environment.
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Methodology
The standard for human-centred design of interactive systems specified in ISO 9241-210:2019 serves as the basis for ensuring the quality of the GEI’s digital products and services. In addition to planning and coordination tasks it also covers:
- a comprehensive understanding of the user concept behind an interactive system
- the derivation of usage requirements
- the creation of design solutions
- an evaluation of design solutions
- a comparison of findings with usage requirements
The process will be repeated until all usage requirements are fulfilled.
The GEI Usability Lab is particularly important in the evaluation phase of interactive systems. Representative users are invited to take part in a usability test, during which their interaction with the system is recorded. The team then produces a report based on their findings and the user’s feedback as part of the process to improve the GEI’s digital products and services.
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Results
A usability testing framework has been developed, in partnership with the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (OVGU), which provides all participants with a common foundation for the methods to be used. A number of studies have already been conducted by students on bachelor’s and master’s courses taught by Prof. Ernesto William De Luca, which have analysed the International TextbookCat, GEI Digital, the Curricula Workstation, search.gei.de and the previous version of the GEI website.
A user study is currently being conducted that examines the Zwischentöne (Nuances) platform, and which will conclude in the second quarter of 2023. The evaluation of the system has been divided into two series of experiments: in the first it will be evaluated by OVGU students familiar with UX techniques; the second will involve teachers, who are the primary target group for Zwischentöne (Nuances), and who are not expected to have prior knowledge of usability studies or UX methods. The findings will provide information on how the system functions and layout can be improved and expanded, although two different perspectives, those of the technology experts (students) and the professionals (teachers) must be considered.
An evaluation of the International TextbookCat is taking place concurrently. The first usability tests will be conducted within the framework of the GLOTREC conference (22 March 2023) with international guests. The study will then be expanded to include German-speaking user groups in order to take other user groups into consideration.
