Ed Rice | Usability, User Experience, Interaction Design

Data Visualization

Visualizing Usability Testing Data

After conducting a number of usability tests, I found it difficult to explain the data I collected. I started looking for better ways to visually explain the data. I ended up finding the same software Hans Rosling created and showcase in his presentation at TED.

This visualization allows me to easily chart users by any number of metrics and demographics.

Here I have displayed a set of users who participated in a single task in a usability test.

What it means.

The x axis represents the time it took to complete the task. The y axis represents the number of errors made by the user. The color of the circle represents task success (users often give up quickly) and the size indicate how often they use the internet. Any of these metrics or demographics can be changed to find or display and trends or outliers.

Try it.

For instance you can make the size of circles represent age and the color represent internet use. (you actually have to change them on the chart) We can see the large circles (60-80 yrs) are more blue and green (lower internet use), while the smaller circles(20-50 yrs) are red and yellow (higher internet use).