Ensure Usability

Usability Practical Exercises
Exercise 1

WESTPAC  BANKING CORPORATION:      http://www.westpac.com.au   Close this Window

User Tasks

Task 1:
Find the foreign exchange rate for the Philippine Peso

Task 2:
Locate the Disclosure Statement for Internet Banking and BPay

Task 3:
Find the nearest WBC branch to Kingscliff

Observations (User Reactions)

Task 1:      Find the foreign exchange rate for the Philippine Peso.
Time:        Search ended after 4 minutes in a related location.
Start Time- 14:14
Finish Time- 14:18
Accuracy:   This proofed to be a difficult search. The final result did not match the original task. The user opted to use the sites search function ending up with the currency calculator. The way back to the homepage could only be achieved using the back arrows.

Task 2:      Locate the Disclosure Statement for Internet Banking and BPay.
Time:        Search abandoned after 7 minutes.
Start Time- 14:20
Finish Time- 14:27 (Search called off)
Accuracy:   The user got completely confused and could not find the accurate link. Once finally on the Disclosure Statement page the information resulted into an ‘endless’ page. The search was called off after 7 minutes. Again there has been no return link to the home page.

Task 3:      Find the nearest WBC branch to Kingscliff
Time:        Search ended after 4 minutes in correct location.
Start Time- 14:28
Finish Time- 14:32
Accuracy:   Again a difficult search with a frustrated user ‘escaping’ from the navigation tools to the site search function. One of the very few pages on the site that served the comfort of a ‘return to home button’.

Summary

·        All of the tasks were found rather difficult to complete. The user found the navigation tools to confusing, probably because of the number and location of them. The site search function has been ok but not great.

·        The user had a bit of trouble getting back to the home page as most pages did not have such a return button.

·        As the content on most pages where long, and the user had to scroll from top to bottom, www.westpac.com.au  could create a 'Back To Top' option (anchor), so the user can easily and quickly get back to the top of the page.

·        The site is generally not very user-friendly and our users experience & error frequency did not improve with consecutive tasks.

Report prepared by ArtPhoto Rene Thalmann, 25 August 2006.