Mock Formative Usability Study of Jing Screen Capture Software (2009)
Motivation
Assignment_Introduction to Usability class at NCSU
Process
To illustrate the role of usability testing as a key element in user-centered design, our instructor required that each student conduct a formative, or exploratory, usability study on a popular digital product. I chose the Jing screen capture software. Since the purpose of a formative usability study is to examine preliminary design concepts early in the development cycle as part of an overall process of user-centered design, this mock study focused on whether users intuitively grasped the fundamental and distinguishing elements of the interface, specifically the unique “sun” launch icon.
Outcome
Most users were confused by the sun icon and expressed a preference for conventional desktop icon. In the context of a comprehensive user-centered design plan, my mitigating recommendation was the simple inclusion of such a conventional icon on the users' desktop.
