Frustration and the OWL by Tanner Heffner

Have you ever been so frustrated with a computer that you wanted to scream at the screen? Not in the angry teenage gamer way, but in the what I want to happen isn’t happening way. The article “Determining Causes and Severity of End-User Frustration” discusses user frustration during computer use. While many errors come from popups and computer crashes, the largest amount of frustration when dealing with computers comes from web use. In another article, "Help! I’m Lost: User Frustration in Web Navigation" lists users not being able to find the content they are seeking in the description of web use frustration.

We all have examples of using a website for a specific purpose and have difficulties completing our goals. Whether the goal be finding a particular article or using virtual tools, using the web can be an extremely frustrating experience. Personally, when I encounter frustrations with a website, unless is imperative that I use that particular site, I will try to find a different website to use instead. The data below from “Determining the Causes and Severity of End-User Frustration” shows that many users just give up, move on, or find an alternative method when faced with computer difficulties.

Figure 1

Looking at the graph above, we can see how users react when faced with a problem. While the graph shows that the majority of users have seen the error before and from previous experience know how to solve the problem, the next most used solution is "I was unable to solve it." This means that when users are unable to quickly find a way to solve their problem without having to look at manuals or third-party help, they give up and move on. To design a website for the future, we have to assume that users are used to instant gratification and don't want to spend a lot of time navigating to find the information they are seeking. When they can't find it quickly and easily, we can infer from the graph above that a large majority of users are going to give up and move on to another resource.

The OWL has a huge amount of information that can be extremely beneficial to the users. However, if the users encounter difficulties and frustrations when searching for the information they want, they are likely to disconnect and try finding the information on a different website. I believe that we should begin analyzing how users are interacting with the OWL and from that, determine where users are getting frustrated and disconnecting. By determining where users are experiencing frustration with the OWL, we can make start to make changes about that will potentially increase the amount of time users spend on our site and the amount of resources that they read. Reducing user frustration is a key component in user centered design.

Citation:

Ceaparu, Irina, Jonathan Lazar, Katie Bessiere, John Robinson, and Ben Shneiderman. "Determining Causes and Severity of End-User Frustration." International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction 17.3 (2004): 333-56. Taylor & Francis. Web. 5 Nov. 2014. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327590ijhc1703_3#.VHDUAPldXHQ>.

Windowless Airplanes by Carly Harmon

Figure 1

I read an article recently that talked about the development of air travel within the next ten years. According to this article, the concept design of “windowless planes” is the work of the Teesside-based Centre for Process Innovation (CPI). It was reported that the windows of the aircraft would be replaced with full-length OLED screens that would display panoramic views that are captured by cameras on the outside of the plane, along with in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi (although, I’m not so sure how I could concentrate on watching a movie when I could watch the panoramic view from 30,000 feet, but that’s just me.) Not only does this new design offer very unique, albeit terrifying, view for passengers, but it also reduces the weight of the plane, thus lowering the cost for both the passenger and airline, according to CPI.

Figure 2

When we think of air travel today, a lot of flyers have many things to complain about. One guy doesn't have enough leg room between him and the seat in front of him, so he feels too cramped. A woman's wifi isn't working, so she can't get any work done during her flight. Another guy doesn't like who he's sitting next to. The list can go on and on because, let's face it, users will always find something to complain about. But that's where UxD comes in. It's our job to give users little to complain about.

I think it's interesting to compare air travel from the 50s and 60s to now. Back in "The Golden Age," as some call it, air travel was considered a luxury. Based on the pictures and movies I've seen, hopping aboard an airplane in 1960 would provide passengers with bigger seats, more open space, gourmet meals, the freedom to light up a cigarette, and tons of booze. By looking at these depictions of 1960s air travel, I can only assume that flying was a basically a massive cocktail party at 30,000 feet. 

Figure 3

In the 21st century, air travel is anything but that. When you purchase a plane ticket, you get to look forward to a cramped couple of hours staring at the back of a chair with some headphones in. WiFi probably will be available, but it's most likely going to cost you some extra money.

A user's experience is very important. After all, that is the whole point of UxD. The whole idea behind designing things for air travel is to make it a great experience for the flyer, from the moment they purchase the ticket to when they land and collect their luggage. The better the experience the flyer has, the more they will keep coming back. Part of making the flyer's experience a great one is pushing the boundaries in order to stay innovative. This new design for air crafts is certainly pushing the boundaries to normal air travel. Talk about an experience! Having WiFi on a plane would suffice for a simple minded person like me. This panoramic in flight view in place of regular windows goes above and beyond. But boy, would I feel bad for a passenger who has a fear of flying!

Figure 4

I think it's interesting to see designers channeling their ideas to bring back the air travel experience to that of the 50s and 60s. Designers are making air travel a luxury again. Although, still no smoking!

The way designers think of innovative ideas that go above and beyond regular air travel that users are used to is the same way we should be thinking about redesigning the Purdue OWL. If you think about it, we should want our users to have some of the same experiences that passengers on airplanes have:

1) We don't want users to feel cramped when searching through the Purdue OWL, which they will get if so many pages and resources available are just scattered randomly throughout the website. 

2) We don't want users to come across pages and resources that don't work, even though they seem easily available, much like having WiFi on an airplane that doesn't work how it should.

3) Lastly and most importantly, we want our users to come back for more. If we create new ideas for the Purdue OWL that are innovative as well as reliable, then we will have more users who want to keep using the website as well as suggest the OWL to other users. 

I think that’s important for us to keep in mind when we are recreating the Purdue OWL. It’s important for us to think above and beyond on what we can do. Of course, there are limitations, but having extravagant and creative ideas from the get go can get us closer to where we want the Purdue OWL to be.

Below you can watch the full CPI clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ga3PMsrHpjU

Ubiquity, Testing, Experience

Ubiquity: that is perhaps the one word contrast between the context of the previous generation of OWL testing and this new iteration. In my last post, I wrote about designing the students' experience of the class. This blog is perhaps clearest evidence of the transition from an OWL redesign project dedicated to Usability and one meant to focus on UxD. In 2006-2007, there were elementary blog hosting services, but now these template-driven hosting services (like this blogger site) are quite sophisticated. The design and function are "good enough" to support our class needs, as well as the demands of documenting and recording the project itself. I think about all the time saved both by students and me, and that time can be spent on reading more recent research as well in articulating this content. The blogging tools are ubiquitous. They're simply here: free, useful, and most importantly, usable.

Just as the resources available on the OWL and the different methods of accessing the information are changing, the methods we use for analysis need to change too. —Kaitlyn

I would be wasting my energy and students' time if we spent this class concentrating on usability to the exclusion of experience architecture. There are limits to the utility of revisiting usability precisely because usability has been so successful. In the middle 1990s, we were making arguments about including usability precisely because so many emergent designs were unusable, either pet projects not meant for widespread adoption or examples of what Norman refers to as "next bench" design, the design solutions engineers come up with that prove a concept at their workbenches but really aren't meant for general, mass use. Usability has broken that scheme and practice, and moved from emergent design (as Bjiker named it) and towards recognizable genres (which Spinuzzi has traced for some time in his work). Bob Johnson has recognized this Ubiquity Paradox and questions insistence on older usability, user-centered, and participatory lexical fixations. 

The OWL needs to make sense. Not just for me, a tech-savvy college student, but also my mom, a middle aged music teacher who does not work with a lot of technologies on a daily basis. It shouldn't make users wonder why they must take certain steps, it should be self-evident. —Jessica

Blogger is a tool we are employing to help create the communication environment of the OWL UxD project. Similarly, Purdue provides access to a sophisticated survey tool, Qualtrics. Other similar tools exist, some at low or no cost for educational use. I've been asked if I might be making students dependent on this tool: what happens when their first professional position requires data gathering and there is no access to Qualtrics? Putting aside whether this or another tool might be better to address the need, it seems silly to deny students use of a powerful tool for fear it might not be available at some unknown future point. Further, comparison with free tools allows students to decide: perhaps Survey Monkey has all the power and flexibility they need. Or perhaps they can then begin the challenging but necessary task of articulating need and gathering materials. 

What makes the Purdue OWL a great tool/resource is that it can be accessed by anyone with a computer and reliable Internet connection. Not only is it easily accessible, it's free. And while it contains the overarching theme of guidelines for writing, many different people access the site for different reasons. How the user experiences the site and his or her satisfaction with it depends heavily on whether or not the site helps in achieving there goals. Therefore, by redesigning the site, we are redesigning the user experience of the site so that it fulfills their needs and helps them achieve their goals. —Kristin

Besides blogging and surveying tools, students have numerous computing devices they carry with them to class, including a variety of smartphones, tablets, phablets, netbooks, laptops, and other writing tools. Most students log on to the classroom computers—which are last-generation iMacs with gigantic integrated screens. But many students rarely if ever log on to these computers, and by extension, also eschew resources like software and storage space available through the wired campus network. Students access materials through the less robust but more flexible wireless connectivity available just about everywhere on campus. WiFi is like oxygen on campus: everywhere and seemingly free, and only noticed in its absence. That is, ubiquitous.

There will be a wide range of things we have to consider while we are creating the user experience to accommodate all OWL users because they have so many different types of users with different access to certain technologies. —Kira

Behavior surrounding the campus network and computing resources has convinced me that one response to ubiquity needs to be a reconfiguration of campus computing facilities. I favor replacing the 20+ student machines with 5 or 6 higher end machines capable of and equipped for HD video editing, 3D sound editing and recording, and student- as well as teacher- controlled image projection. This is how we are reimagining our multimedia production space. And have proposed for our main technology rich classrooms. But I digress. 

The purpose of redesigning the Purdue OWL has shifted from usability to UXD design. I find it interesting ... that usability has come so far and that this is a major reason why we focus more on UXD design... I agree that some major changes could be made to the room. On our redesign of the room, we included more tables and more computers, which will definitely help shape a user's experience. —Andrew

Blogging and surveying tools are part of this new age of ubiquity. Similarly, students' own mobile technologies are part of a literate context that seems to define this new era. That these technologies can be seamlessly accessed and used interchangeably—that they are useful and usable—are part as well of the environmental dimension of technology. That WiFi is not only present but robust, but more importantly expected. In this context, usability testing is much less pressing than attention to the users' experience within this techno-cultural space and place.

We need to begin taking into account all of the different devices that were mentioned in this post. Looking at some of the network statistics from the OWL, very few hits are actually coming from the mobile devices that students carry with them everywhere. While this could be that the content may only be relevant when they are working on an actual computer, I think we need to begin considering how users would interact with a mobile app and what information they may need access to from a device that fits in their hand. Rather than just re-sizing the OWL to pocket form, we need to start thinking ahead to what the needs of the users are. —Tanner

Blogger and other Google docs; email and instant messaging; Qualtrics; the physical classroom itself with its installed computers and full suite of software; campus WiFi; mobile and laptop computers: this mix of devices, software, services, and places all contribute to the instructional technology—they are available to students but can become invisible, transparent—as technologies. These technologies are for the most part looked through to the work at hand precisely because usability as a movement has been so effective. These things just work. So what's at stake?

There are many systems that "just work" without a second thought for me. But as I read this post, I began to wonder whether technologies truly "just work" or if I, as a user, have adapted my interaction with a technology so that it can work. —Jessica

Well, the continued invention and design of new services, and of new categories of devices (I did mention phablets above, which are certainly evolutionary and not revolutionary, but still, a new micro-category). These are important. But I think the bigger rewards lie in taking successful processes and knowledge making from the software and web worlds and putting them to work in new contexts: from workplaces to architecture to manufacturing, there are innumerable contexts where knowledge and core competencies developed in the service of creating these now-ubiquitous technologies and literacy practices make training in technical communication very valuable. In an age of ubiquity, experience architecture is an important and valuable specialty in a wide variety of workplaces.

So, my question is: as different tools for increasing/measurability usability increase, does the assumption that these users immediately know how to use them increase as well? And how do we negotiate these kinds of expectations? How do we need to think more critically about accessibility and, indeed, willingness, to work with and learn from these types of technologies? — Mary

This classroom is the experience of UxD for these students. I have designed it in order to teach these students about usability, user-centered design theory, as well as involve them in ongoing research. I also ask them to think with me, and sometime struggle to make clear what we are doing ... precisely because  I do not yet know. But that's what I take to be my responsibility in this class: I share with students what I know (what I think I know) at this moment about UxD, offer access to ongoing discussions as well as a balanced mix of new, groundbreaking, and foundational research. I bring with me the expectation that their other teachers and the curriculum have prepared them to move from what they have been taught to  the challenges that lie ahead of them. As these quotes I've pulled from their responses show, they have prepared themselves not just to respond to the challenges of Purdue's OWL and its user experience needs, but to address a wider range of challenges posed by valuing user-involved research.

International Students and ESL Resources by Andrew Yim

I have been shadowing tutors in the Purdue Writing Lab for a class this semester.   Freshmen have come in frantically looking for help with documents like their English 106 papers.  Many freshmen feel overwhelmed since many have never written an essay for college before.  Freshman year, I struggled with English 106 papers because I did not develop a strong foundation for writing.   Staring at a blank page for hours, I struggled to come up with ideas, but thank heavens that I had an extraordinary English 106 professor.  His class improved my writing immensely by teaching principles that I could use for future papers.  After taking his class, I realized that speaking fluent English has always made me feel more confident about my writing. I have observed many international students come into the Writing Lab looking for help on their essays.
 
Observing these sessions were eye-opening as many international students lack confidence in their work; however, I have observed many students formulating great ideas for their papers.  However, they believe that their language skills are not up to par and this mentality has made it hard for them to communicate their ideas.

Figure 1

As a native English speaker, writing in English is second-nature to me.  I could only imagine how international students feel when they are trying to write an English paper.    As they begin to formulate ideas, they might struggle with communicating these ideas onto paper leaving  them feeling frustrated.  If I tried to write a paper in Chinese or Korean, I would definitely feel lost.  This previous summer, I served as a Boiler Gold Rush Team Leader and I had quite a few international students from other countries shown in the photo above. Also, I am currently a part of an international ministry and have become friends with many international students.  For many, this is their first time visiting the United States.  Many believed that they would struggle with their classes because they struggled to understand English.  Some asked me to slow down my talking or to help them with their English papers   Students who come to the United States  have to demonstrate foreign language proficiency, but students still struggle even after demonstrating minimal proficiency in understanding English.

Figure 2

A few months ago, I was not sure how I could help them; however, working on redesigning the OWL has provided me with a clearer answer.  As seen in Figure 2, the English as a Second Language pages provides more clarity to international students who want to write more efficient essays. These pages contain a wealth of information about ESL resources.  However, international students are not aware of the many resources out there for them.  These pages also have resources for tutors wanting to learn strategies to help international students learn English. Furthermore, they cover a variety of grammar topics like adjectives, adverbs, verbs, prepositions, pronouns, and other resources.    As our class are redesigning these pages, we need to target our audience and I believe that many of my friends will benefit from our redesigns.

Throughout my experiences in the Writing Lab, many international students have negative expectations of their own writing.  They are so focused on correcting their grammar that they doubt their own ideas.  As non-native English speakers, they will often feel frustrated and seek out resources that will help them improve their English.  Through my observations, I have seen many non-English students struggle with understanding certain phrases in English.  Many phrases that are common to native English speakers are completely foreign to non-native speakers.     This disconnect in language makes it hard for them to write essays in English.

With many of my international friends, I have practiced speaking in English with them.  I speak quite fast so I have learned to slow down my talking.  In return,  I see them improve their English through conversation.  Thus a great resource that international students can take advantage of is ESL conservation groups.   I believe that the OWL Staff needs to be aware that these conservation groups can help improve students' writing.  Posting the hours of these conversation groups will be immensely beneficial to students looking to improve their language skills.    I believe that helping international students learn the basics of the English language can lead to better developed essays. This will can improve their self-confidence and help them become better writers.

Thus the OWL staff should make non-native speakers more aware of these resources when international students first arrive at Purdue.  The OWL Staff needs to find ways to help direct users, especially non-native speakers of English,  to information that will be most helpful to them.  Students in 515 need to be aware of this audience as they are proposing suggestions to help redesign the website especially for the pages about ESL.   I believe that it is crucial to use certain words on these pages to help international students understand certain concepts.  If there is too much text, international students will feel overwhelmed reading these posts.  Thus students in 515 should suggest a way to redesign these pages through observations of international students.

I believe that an ethnography will be helpful for gathering data to help redesign the ESL pages.  An ethnography is the study of people and culture and studying international students will help the OWL staff and students in 515 understand how to tailor these pages for international students.   Some ways to study international students would be to set up a Qualtrics survey interviewing international students about how they view the English language and if they believe that the ESL pages help them learn more about the English language.  Also, doing in-depth interviews with international students can be beneficial.  All of this data can be used to help effectively redesign the ESL pages.    I will definitely be advertising the ESL Pages to all of my international friends and to students who I meet in the future.