Usability testing: creating a mobile application that will be trusted. Usability analysis of mobile applications

Bank Saint Petersburg has been cooperating with Ashmanov and Partners St. Petersburg since 2014. During our cooperation, we have observed positive dynamics in website promotion: the number of transitions from search engines increased by 2 times, visibility thematic queries increased more than 4 times. The Ashmanov and Partners team demonstrated professionalism and responsibility in solving the assigned tasks! We are confident in further fruitful cooperation! We also express our gratitude to the leading manager Daria Ivanova for her punctuality, accuracy in work, proactive approach and personal interest in high results.

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Rybakov Alexander

Vice President, Director of the Digital Department of PJSC Bank Saint Petersburg

Cooperation with the company "Ashmanov and Partners" was necessary for further development website of the Kommersant Publishing House: comprehensive audit existing versions site, search weak points and developing recommendations for improving each version of the site. Among the possible contractors, Ashmanov and Partners had the most impressive experience in complex work on large Internet projects with a large audience.

The agency’s specialists conducted a search audit, usability audit, usability testing of website pages, competitor analysis and mobile version site. Based on the results of a comprehensive audit, a set of measures was developed; during the implementation process, employees continued to advise Kommersant Publishing House specialists on necessary changes Online.

We hope for further fruitful cooperation with the Ashmanov and Partners company.

We express special gratitude to manager Olga Sokolskaya for her attentive attitude to our wishes, professionalism, efficiency and understanding of the specifics of a large media project.

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Urban Kirill

Director for Information and Digital Platforms at Kommersant JSC

Specialists from Ashmanov and Partners performed a detailed audit of the existing website, identified growth points, and then carried out a large amount of work on its text optimization. In addition, they provided a large amount of recommendations on improving the technical component of sites, as well as improving ergonomics and increasing conversion on the site. After launching the site on new platform experts from Ashmanov and Partners helped improve its position.

During our cooperation, the increase in traffic from search engines to our website was about 300%. The number of queries in the top 10 search engines has increased manifold, including for high-frequency phrases.

Currently, specialists from Ashmanov and Partners continue to advise us on issues search engine promotion and assist in the implementation of the recommendations provided.

We thank the company “Ashmanov and Partners” for the quality work done and clear, transparent reporting.

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Ryzhkova Lyubov

Director of ecommerce and development digital technologies

We have been cooperating with Ashmanov and Partners since January 2016. The company's experts conducted a search audit of our website and developed recommendations for eliminating technical shortcomings on the site.

In addition, Ashmanov and Partners specialists conducted a competitive analysis and also developed prototypes and page layouts for the new website, taking into account modern requirements for usability and search engine promotion.

Currently, Ashmanov and Partners is carrying out the entire range of work on search engine promotion of our website. We recommend the company as a responsible contractor who systematically approaches problem solving, understands the specifics of the business and promptly responds to requests.

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Reznikov M.V.

Director of Public Relations and Information Policy POLIPLASTIC Group

After changing the design on the vedomosti.ru website, we wanted to: 1) find out what problems our readers encountered; 2) increase search traffic. We contacted Ashmanov and Partners for advice.

Ashmanov and Partners specialists conducted a search and usability audit of the new website and its mobile version, and then developed detailed recommendations to eliminate errors. In addition, they tested all aspects of our publication’s mobile application and developed individual recommendations to fix bugs and improve navigation and user experience.

We are pleased with our cooperation with Ashmanov and Partners and recommend them as an attentive, efficient contractor. We especially thank manager Olga Sokolskaya, who clearly controlled the audit work and development of recommendations, and also promptly and thoroughly answered all our questions.

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Prozorov Gleb Borisovich

CEO JSC "Business News Media"

The SOYUZSPETSODEZHDA company expresses gratitude to all employees of Ashmanov and Partners LLC for their professional work.

The company's specialists regularly carry out a large range of activities to promote our website in search engines.

After three months of working together, our site gained a foothold in the first places for many of our key queries, the number of visitors from search engines increased and sales increased. The company's specialists conducted a full SEO audit of our website. Based on the results of the audit, they developed recommendations for improving the commercial component of the site, and also suggested processing options key page our online store. Home page of the site and forms feedback became clearer and more convenient, we began to better understand the objective competitiveness of our online store. In addition, we received valuable recommendations for improving order processing. Together with specialists from Ashmanov and Partners, we developed and began to implement a strategy for regional website promotion.

Thanks to the work of specialists from Ashmanov and Partners LLC, we are making our website more convenient for our clients and this work continues.

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Gamsheev Yuri Viktorovich

General Director of Soyuzspetsodezhda-Center

I have been cooperating with Ashmanov and Partners for many years, working in various organizations. The company was one of the first to appear on the SEO market and over the years has established itself as a team of professionals whose services, of course, are not cheap, but they are worth it.

The responsibility of the company “Ashmanov and Partners” to its clients, the desire to improve ourselves and help us improve is captivating.

The last of the joint projects with the company “Ashmanov and Partners” is the launch of a website after a redesign. Very important point was that the development of the structure and design of the site went in parallel with the company’s specialists working out our actions in terms of optimization. This made it possible to minimize risks when launching a new website and maintain good positions.

I would especially like to note the work of our account manager, Pavel Denisov, who not only manages our project online, but is also always ready to offer new solutions to improve our work and help in their implementation.

The reputation of the Ashmanov and Partners company speaks for itself. And I can confidently recommend her as a reliable and noteworthy partner.

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Razumova A.

Brand manager of Renamax LLC

In order to objectively assess the effectiveness of the ongoing work to promote our website, we ordered an SEO audit from the company Ashmanov and Partners.

The company’s specialists conducted a comprehensive study: they studied semantic core, compared the visibility of our site in search results with competitors, analyzed technical problems on the site, studied text optimization of pages in accordance with the promoted list of queries, and examined the link mass.

For each stage, experts from Ashmanov and Partners provided detailed, visual reports and developed recommendations. They assigned a priority to each problem that needed to be solved, and then proposed a general search engine promotion strategy. Having familiarized ourselves with the proposed strategy, we quickly figured out where to focus our further efforts first in order to get the greatest return on our investment.

We thank the specialists of the Ashmanov and Partners company for their professional and responsible approach to solving the problem.

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To attract interested users to the site, we chose the Ashmanov and Partners agency as a contractor, which offered optimal conditions And A complex approach to promotion.

The specialists of Ashmanov and Partners professionally approached solving our problems: they carefully studied the specifics of our business, conducted a competitive study, performed a comprehensive audit of our website, and eliminated technical errors, developed and implemented a promotion strategy that has already proven its effectiveness.

Cooperation with Ashmanov and Partners allowed us to attract three times more targeted visitors from search engines to the site. At the same time, the site no longer has the seasonal drop in traffic that is typical in our industry. We would especially like to note the regular detailed reports, clearly showing the results of the actions taken.

We plan to continue working together with Ashmanov and Partners and recommend this agency as a professional, executive contractor who is attentive to the wishes of clients.

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Vorobyov Valery Anatolievich

CEO

CHOUDO "School" in English"Es" expresses gratitude to the company "Ashmanov and Partners" LLC for the fruitful cooperation: operational work on our projects and demonstrated patience and understanding to all the customer’s wishes. We believe in maintaining existing business and friendly relations, and hope for further mutually beneficial cooperation in the future.

During our work, our website has significantly improved its position and become significantly more attractive in terms of usability.

I would especially like to highlight Roman Cherednik and Maria Zhebeleva as very attentive and responsible employees of the company.

We wish your company successful development and achievement of new heights in business. In turn, we recommend Ashmanov and Partners LLC as a conscientious and high-quality contractor to our partners.

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Pevunova A.V.

Marketing Director, “Yes English Language School”

Creation theme mobile applications for iOS will not lose its relevance for a long time. Number of applications in App Store exceeded the 2,000,000 (two million) mark last summer (2016), and the number of downloads reached 130 billion.

The developers themselves classified the object of our today’s review into the “Health and Fitness” category. Research has shown that this category is not the most popular among applications in the App Store. However, the situation in the Russian and foreign markets for mobile fitness applications gives analysts reason to call this niche extremely promising for developers and predict its increase by 210% by 2020 (compared to 2016).

So, we bring to your attention an expert assessment of the mobile application “100-day workout: Fitness for beginners”.

How the analysis was carried out

Since the expert, by a stroke of luck, also turned out to be a representative target audience, the expert assessment included elements of usability testing.

1. First, I installed the application on my iPhone and tried to understand its settings.

2. Then I conducted one training session to see how the application works in real conditions.

At first, it was also supposed to be a separate item to check the application for compliance with iOS guidelines. But, as it turned out, the application has more global problems, requiring a priority solution.

Application positioning

For the study, we were only provided with a link to the application in iTunes without any accompanying text. From the name it is clear that a certain outdoor training program(workout) for beginners, designed for 100 days.

The description provides more detailed description the proposed training program, and rather vague information is given about the functions of the application itself and the tasks it should solve.

Screenshots of the screens presented here formed the following ideas about the application - this is not just a separate fitness application or a “health and activity diary”, it mobile assistant designed for a specific training program.

For example, there are applications for running enthusiasts, where all the functionality is “tailored” specifically for this purpose.

However, the description is written in such a way that only those who are “in the know” will understand it. Those users who have already heard or are engaged in the program, learned about the application on the website or from friends, in general, know minimal information and are loyal in advance.

The same users who simply search in the App Store cool app for workout classes, or effective universal program workouts, or want to learn how to do push-ups and pull-ups from scratch, may not understand anything from the description. Only a portion of them will download the application to check it out or search for information about it on the Internet. The majority will most likely look for other applications.

In the description of the application, you need to talk not only about the advantages and benefits of the training program, but also about the specific functions and tasks of the application.

For example, like this:

Description of the fitness application in iTunes

Demonstration of the application in the App Store

Installing the application

Start screen

When I launched the application, I was greeted by a splash screen of 3 screens, which again talk about the benefits of workout in general and the program in particular, but do not prepare the user or teach how to use the application. That is, these are just cute photographs with poorly readable, albeit motivating, captions. When first launched, the program asked for permission to send notifications, I allowed it - Not a single notification came in a month.

Of course, you can skip the splash screen. However

if you attract the user's attention, waste his time viewing any information, this should be justified.

For example, these three screens could immediately ask me to enter my details, so that when I clicked “Get Started,” the application would greet me with preset settings according to the characteristics I specified.

This is exactly what the above-mentioned “Workout Trainer” application does:

Collection of user data when installing an application

By the way, “useless” screensavers are one of the violations of the guidelines.

User data entry

But I was asked to enter the first data - gender and date of birth - only at the next stage. At the same time, the choice of gender is implemented for some reason in the form of a mode switch. It is unlikely that I will study today as a woman, and tomorrow as a man.

The fields for entering my weight, as well as my fitness level parameters, are on the next screen, although there is plenty of space for them on the previous one. The screen title barely fits the width - it could also be worded shorter, e.g. “Your data” or “Your parameters”.

No uniform style requests to the user: on the screensaver they addressed me as “you” (use, join, become, etc.), but here they addressed me as “you” (enter, indicate, etc.).

Next step loading photos so that you can clearly see changes in the future. But I do not understand, can i skip this step or not? I'm not ready, I don't have photos, I want to take and upload them later.

Hints for users regarding their actions are good. However, on this screen There are too many of them: title, subtitle and explanation. Why do we need captions for photo spots - front, back and side? If I upload photos, I will already see where the back is and where the front is. Or does this mean strict matching and I can't load the rear view into the "Front" cell?

Introductory information

I started installing the application in full combat readiness - I put on sports equipment. I thought that now I would quickly set up the application and check its operation in practice. However, I sat in my sneakers for the next hour...

I remind you that we have already gone through 6 screens but haven't started using the app yet, we are just setting it up.

So, on the seventh screen we are greeted with the encouraging title “Almost everything” (which is lost in the background of the name of the return link to previous step) and the recommendation to “read the preparatory info posts.” Finally - the introductory briefing, and we will begin!

All three links open the site in the mobile application shell. Seriously, these are just pages of a site with material that hasn't even been processed for consumption from mobile devices. At the same time, the screens do not have headings at all, so you can easily get confused where organizational issues where are the reasons and where are the goals.

Each of the information posts takes up 5-7 screens of interesting (honestly!), but completely unadapted text. Respectively,the font size in these sections does not change dynamicallydepending on the settings of the iPhone itself(another violation of the guidelines).

Against the background of all this, the text “Almost everything” looks especially mocking.

Total: before clicking the “Let’s go!” button, I had to look 7 screens and 3 sections of the mobile site. Accordingly, I expect that all this was not in vain.

If you ask users to enter any data before using the application, then all of it must be taken into account in the application. If you can start working with the application without entering this data, then it is better to do so. The user himself will then configure what he needs.

Launching the application

home

I finally logged into the app! Here I see that the “countdown” has already begun - the program began not just today, but right now. What if I'm going to start it tomorrow? Where is my induction briefing? How can I start my first day of 100 days? Where to start? I don’t know my program, nor how to do push-ups correctly, nor how many times, nothing at all!

But on the main screen there is a question mark, when you click on it, the mobile site page opens again. Why is this link on the main page? It is unlikely that I will need to refresh my memory every day what kind of program I am going through.

Before training, I am asked to read the “topic of the day.” Great, this is probably the instruction! But instead of a schematic step-by-step story with illustrations and/or videos, I again see a page of a mobile site, where I have to independently read on 7 screens where to start, what to do and how to finish. At the same time, navigation through the application in information posts has already been forgotten: while on other screens there are captions for the “Back” arrows, then there are no longer any here.

The training has not yet been completed - ok, this is true. I see three components to my daily workout - the exercises themselves, stretching and rest.

Infoposts

On this screen I see a list of important and useful topics that seem to cover everything I need to know and be able to do in the first 49 days of the program (basic block). The posts themselves, as you may have guessed, are “pulled up” from the main site. But to be honest, this is the most interesting thing the app has to offer so far.

Training diary

Here, as I understand it, the training will be reflected as it progresses. Let's see how the contents of this screen change after the first workout.

Progress

To the programmer You need to fix the display of decimal values ​​in numbers. If you enter 67 or 67.5, everything will be fine. But if you enter 67.6, it will be what is shown in the screenshot.

I didn't upload my photos during the setup stage, so they aren't here. How to add your photos here, if now I want to do this?

Progress can only be tracked at the beginning, middle and end of the workout. That is, once every 50 days. A if I want to make intermediate changes weights and upload photos?

Settings

My most favorite screen. The guys didn’t bother, they just “threw it in” in "Settings" and my custom parameters, and settings of the application itself, and my date of birth, and the version of the application itself.

Almost all settings can be changed, even the current day of the program. And here You cannot upload photos. To the right of the “Reset All” link there is a note as if clicking it will open some options. But when clicked it will display standard request to confirm your actions.

A whole block is dedicated to rest settings between circles. That is, setting up how I will spend 15-60 seconds. Why then can’t you also choose a melody that will play during the rest or at the end? The default is 45 seconds. Since I did not set this parameter, I assume that this is the rest recommended to me personally based on the data that I entered in good faith when installing the application.

The “Places” item sends you to download another application, “Store” – to the store’s website, “Rate” – to the App Store. However, you won’t be able to write - once you open the feedback form, you can’t close it, send it, skip it, or return.

You shouldn’t try to fit all the functionality of the application into 5 main screens. In the bottom navigation bar you should leave only those links that are needed/constantly used for training. All other sections ( information materials , settings, communication, feedback, information about the training program, data about the application and its developers, etc., etc.) can be “hidden” V.

navigation menu

The screenshots below show how the potential of the navigation menu in the application is used. The bottom panel contains only the most basic things; everything else – from the user profile to information about the application – can be found in the “depths” of the “hamburger” menu.

In the bottom navigation bar there are only options related to training, everything else is in the menu

There are also not enough explanations on how to work with this or that screen upon first acquaintance. For example, when you first open a screen or section, it would be nice to display pop-up messages with brief and succinct information about what I can do here and what options I have. Here's an example short messages

in eye-catching pop-up windows that introduce the user to the purpose of each screen.

Information about the purpose of each section that appears when you first open the screen

Training

So here's the fun part. This is what the developers intended and why I downloaded the application. Training! Return to the “Home” screen and click “Training”.

What I want to communicate. None of the settings established at the first stage, was not mandatory. The application does not take into account the entered data in any way(the only thing is that when choosing the “female” gender, the initial number of training laps is set as “2”, and when choosing the “male” gender – as “4”. But this is all configured manually).

Each of initial steps the app allowed you to skip. All entered data is easily entered and changed in the settings after you start using the application, and they are needed only to record the current state and track progress by the user himself. Everything that I entered before does not affect the operation of the application in any way. That is The application can be used without filling out all these parameters at all.

Then it is not clear why all this data was requested before pressing the “Let's go!” button. If information about my gender, age and fitness was requested in advance, then I rightly expect that the application will give me individual program training and a set of recommendations in strict accordance with these data.

How could user data be used?

For example, I enter the following parameters:

• Gender Female;
• weight – 68;
• push-ups from the floor – 0;
• pull-ups on the bar – 0;
• squats – 50.

What we see is that the girl weighs enough, but 68 kg can be both fat and muscle. He can’t do push-ups or pull-ups, but he can more or less squat. So, most likely, these are not muscles. All women want to lose weight. What the app can offer her:

• at the beginning of the program, include in your training not classic push-ups-pull-ups-squats, but lightweight ones (knee push-ups, “Australian pull-ups”, supported squats, etc.). Or provide this choice ( Customize your workouts. Pull-ups: regular or “Australian” (we recommend)? And the link - Read more about Australian pull-ups) ;
• in the future, as the number of repetitions increases and the technique is developed, replace these lightweight exercises in the schedule with regular ones (We noticed that you've already made good progress in your training! It's time to switch to regular push-ups!);

• give recommendations on additional “fat-burning” exercises and nutritional advice.

As an example, the Workout Trainer application tries to adapt as much as possible to the user’s needs:

Desired difficulty level -> Training goals -> Recommended programs

Training mode

When you click on the “Training” button, the screen of the same name opens with a preset set of exercises. Before this, I conscientiously read the information posts and understand that the exercises presented are the basis of the program, and the number of circles is recommended for women at the beginning.

But why are these particular ones given? initial values? In the settings I indicated (see the Progress screen above): pull-ups - 1, push-ups - 1 and squats - 50. 5-10-10-10 - is this the number of repetitions I should do on the first day? Are these averages? It's minimum? Maximum? To return “my” settings, I had to click on “+” 80 times (increase the number of squats 2 times to 50) and on “-” 13 times (reduce the number of push-ups and pull-ups). But it’s still not clear why I need this data now, if I will record it only after completing the laps.

The “+” and “-” buttons, with which you can change the number of repetitions, are very inconvenient to use. They are small in size, it’s difficult to hit them with your finger, and the fact that they are located next to each other can lead to constantly pressing the “wrong” button. And I do this with dry fingers on a chair. What to do when your fingers tremble or don’t bend during training? From sweat, cold, tension, etc.

An MIT Touch Lab study found that the average width of an adult's index finger is 1.6–2 cm (45–57 pixels). That is, for successful user interaction with application elements, the width of the touch area should be 45–57 pixels.

Why weren't they offered to me right away? And if I hadn’t paid attention to the “Edit” link, how would I have known about them? Can I change the program at my discretion or is it better to stick to it? initial settings? Is it too early for me to do lunges? What are Australian pull-ups? Why are there no reverse push-ups? Can't they be done during the program? How many types of exercises are best to add at the initial stage? Can I add my own? For example, “plank”? Why is the warm-up not taken into account in the program, could I forget to do it?

During use, the application is “silent” like a guerrilla. Not a single, not even the tiniest, tooltip. All information on the program, doing exercises, etc. is only available in information posts from the site. Such extensive materials should not act as the main source of information in the application. Users should be able to access them if they wish. For example, read such a developmental article on the way to training or home from training.

For example, in the “Workout Trainer” application, each program and instructions for performing exercises in it are implemented in the form of a kind of “comic book”. There is a photograph that gives a general idea of ​​the exercises included in the program, as well as step by step illustration performing each of the exercises. In addition, in the “moderated” mode, during the exercises, the virtual trainer gives the user audio prompts (“shoulders lower,” “10 more seconds left,” etc.).

Description of the program Description of the exercise

This is a mobile application, and it should solve some of my problems. If this is a “beginner training program”, then there is not enough visuals, instructions, demonstrations, diagrams, breakdowns, pop-ups with explanations, reminders, audio prompts during exercises (relax your shoulders, don’t strain your neck, keep your back straight, etc.). ) etc.

Detailed information posts are more than appropriate on the site, but in a mobile application this does not solve the issue of user training.

It is important to create a mobile application not “for the target audience” in general, but to solve specific tasks. The application must satisfy very specific user needs (count calories, count steps, measure blood pressure, etc.).

Doing laps

After clicking on the “Start Workout” button, the “Execution” screen opens, which obviously marks the transition to the workout mode.

At the top of the screen is my starting data for each exercise. Why are they displayed? Should I do the same? Not less? More? Under this list, the line “Circle 1: Executing...” flashes. Its “blinking”, as I understand it, means that training is in progress. After completing the approach, you need to click on the “Done” button, then a timer will open counting down the seconds allotted for rest, which can be stopped ahead of schedule.

After this, the text “Circle 2: Execute...” will automatically start flashing. After clicking on the “Done” button, the screen title changes to “Workout Complete”, I am asked to enter what I did in squats and push-ups and save this data.

Updated data on the completion of the first workout appears on the “Home” (by the way, where did “Stretching” and “Rest” disappear) and “Training Diary” screens (What will it look like when training will pass already 25? Will they still be presented in expanded form and will have to be scrolled through for a long, long time?). On both screens, data can be deleted or changed.

And here we immediately have three problems.First: the training mode, if provided, should look different from other screens. That is, when switching to this mode, it is advisable not to display any navigation bar below, no menu, no link above, nothing. Only training.

For example, this is how the interface of the application itself may differ from the interface of the training mode:

App screen Workout mode 1 Workout mode 2

The second problem: the workout timer is useless in practical terms.

The workout consists of the following: warm-up, pull-ups, squats, push-ups, squats, rest 30 seconds, pull-ups, squats, push-ups, squats, cool-down. The phone will most likely include a player in addition to the application. The phone will be in your pocket during training.

So, the man warmed up. Then he needs to take the phone out of his pocket (someone else needs to unzip the pocket before this), unlock it (in winter - after removing the glove), press the “Start training” button in the application, lock the screen so that nothing is accidentally pressed, put the phone away pocket (fasten the pocket, put on a glove), pull yourself up, sit down, do push-ups, sit down, take the phone out of your pocket (lock, glove), unlock it, press the “Ready” button, rest, lock the phone, put it in your pocket (lock, glove) , pull yourself up, sit down, do push-ups, sit down, take your phone out of your pocket (lock, glove), unlock the screen, press the “Done” button. Then, while resting, enter the workout results, click “Save,” lock the screen, put the phone in your pocket, and hesitate.

Wherein, The workout timer doesn't count down at all, no time, no number of repetitions, does not give any signals, sounds, advice, at all does not affect anything, does not control or correct the progress of the training in any way, turns on and off “manually”. All the workout timer does is blink text message, which no one will see anyway, because the phone is in your pocket.

Of all the functions, only two can be useful: a stopwatch for counting rest time and recording the results at the end. But then the application should have been called “Stopwatch and Notepad” (“Fix your rest time and results!”) and removed all unnecessary things from it. For example, a workout timer.

Third problem. Why is a timer needed in this training program? Are exercises or circuits performed for a time? Is there such a task as “you have to catch up maximum amount once every 30 seconds"?

Stretching and rest

The second day came (okay, I switched to it myself in the settings), and again, in addition to the “Training” link, the “Stretching” and “Rest” links appeared on the main screen. It wasn’t even the third time that I realized that stretching and rest are not components of the workout, but components of the entire 100-day program. Only at random (in the literal sense) was it possible to guess (the application did not deign to explain, but try to find it in the information posts!) that on some days the “hundred day” involves doing stretching instead of the usual set of exercises or, in general, taking a break from classes.

How often should you stretch and rest? Maybe the base unit goes without rest at all? Are stretching and rest days included in the 100 days of the program or are they counted separately? Do I need to select “Pause workouts” in the app settings on these days? What if I want to stretch on training days?

At the same time, the stretching and rest icons are displayed as actively as the training icon. That is, one gets the complete impression that “Stretching” and “Rest” involve the same active work with them as “Training”. However, all you can do with stretching and rest is label it. When you click on “Stretch” or “Rest” it doesn’t even go to another screen, as is the case with “Workout”. They are simply selected and added to the diary. That's all.

For keeping a training diary, keeping track of such days can be useful. For example, in a month you will clearly see how many times you did stretching or rested last month. But it would be worth implementing this functionality differently,not on par with training functionality.

It would be much more clear to display the training diary not only in a list, but also in a calendar. Use laconic icons to mark the regular day of the “hundred day”, days of training, stretching and rest, missed workouts, etc. Tapping on a day would open a screen with details of that day's workout.

Here is an example of a nice training calendar - nothing superfluous, but at the same time a lot of information:

Training schedule in the calendar

Testing the application in real conditions

So, after the expert assessment, it was time to conduct the first training session for real. At the beginning, let's once again note the most important thing that we need to know about the mobile application “100-day workout: Fitness for beginners”:

• this is a mobile assistant in passing special program training;
• trainings are carried out outside at any time of the year(otherwise it’s not a workout);
• the application was created to teach beginners how to train;
• to do exercises minimum requirement to the equipment- a crossbar on which you could do pull-ups.

At first I remembered that I saw the “Platforms” item in the settings. Based on the context of the training, I guessed that we're talking about about sports grounds. To search for sites, I was asked to download separate application(why wouldn’t it be possible to embed maps with sites in the same application? After all, it would be much more convenient to have all the functions in one application).

IN this review We are talking about another application, so we will not dwell in detail on the search for a site (spoiler: the second application did not find the site for me).

Before going outside, I found and read an information post about whether it is possible to train in winter. It turned out that it is possible.

So, it’s evening, it’s dark, it’s -10⁰ C outside, it feels like 16⁰ C. The playground (admittedly, a children’s playground, but with crossbars) is right in the yard. Warm-up – half pull-up on the bar – squats –…

And here the training had to be suspended: HOW TO DO PUSH-UPS IN THE SNOW? Is it even possible to do this? Here's a bench - can I do push-ups on it? How can I enter this data into the training diary later, there is no option for “push-ups from a bench”? Count regular push-ups, and where to mark that they were from a bench? This data will probably be lost. If I put this in my notes, why do I need an app? Searching for all this information in verbose information posts in the middle of training, of course, was terribly long, uncomfortable and cold.

Oh yes! In airplane mode, videos simply do not load. That is, if I don't have mobile internet or wi-fi nearby, I can use the only source of information in the application (info posts) only in text format and I can't watch the video regarding the correctness of performing certain exercises.

Okay, we missed the push-ups. I also did the second round without them. I can’t say anything new about the operation of the application after training outside. This is actually extremely inconvenient - every time you take the phone out of your jacket pocket, which is zipped up, and take off your glove, since the touchscreen does not respond through the fabric. However, there is no benefit from the application during training.

What could this application be like?

My fantasies about how such an application could really be useful. Once again, the main input data: mobile application for outdoor activities at any time of the year for beginners.

1. I install this application. A message appears: “Enter your details so we can choose an individual training program for you.”

2. I enter my data: gender, level of physical fitness. The application says: “We suggest you start with a lightweight program. When you make progress, we will suggest you switch to classical exercises.”

3. I navigate through screens. I receive messages: “Here you can enter all your parameters - height, weight, volume, upload photos - this will make it more convenient for you to monitor your progress,” “Here you can find answers to any questions about training and nutrition. If you haven’t found the answer to your question, please write to us, we will definitely help”, “In this calendar you can track your activity”, etc., etc.

4. “Training” screen. The message “Please read all important information before you start. You can start training at any time by clicking the “Start a hundred day” button. If you have any health restrictions, we recommend that you consult a doctor, preferably a sports doctor.”

5. I entered everything, read it, entered it, saved it. I click “Start a hundred days!” Addendum: “Congratulations! Today is your first training day. You will regret 100 times that you got involved, but you will say thank you 1000 times in the end. But there will be no end. These 100 days will change your life, and you will no longer be able to live without workout.”

That is, the application must “understand” what year, month, day, time of day it is, weather. In the future, right on the main screen, the application should tell me what the weather is like (as in special applications– temperature, cloudiness, snow, rain, etc.). On some special days, display warning messages: “Attention! A thunderstorm is brewing in the city. Perhaps it’s best for you to refrain from exercising today.”

Naturally, I will follow or not follow these tips at my own discretion. But in an application for outdoor activities, information about the weather is decisive after my own well-being.

7. After finishing the first workout (pressing the “Finish” or “Finish” button, etc.) - a message: “Congratulations on completing your first workout. Now you can enter your first results in the “Training Diary”. Don't stay out in the cold for long. Now it’s better to come home quickly and take a hot shower,” etc. Then you can also display messages: “Don’t forget to enter your results after each workout.”

8. If the day is already ending and I haven’t trained yet, the application sends me a notification: “It’s already 22 hours and you haven’t trained yet! Hurry up". And I go to train or set a “rest” on this day.

9. It would be a good idea to record how you feel before and after each workout. At least in a free form (“dizzy”, “there was a surge of strength”, “no energy”, “a strong stabbing sensation in the side”, etc.). Such data over a period of time can be very useful. For example, when I feel better during training - in the morning or in the evening, I notice in time that my right leg often begins to hurt after training, etc.

10. All content must be redesigned for mobile format and be available even offline.

11. In terms of the training process. I need a visual step by step diagram performing exercises in pictures with descriptions. At first, you can’t do without this. Separately, you can provide a link to full information posts on the site. Or even “fold” them all in their original form into one of the sections of the application. But this is for “reading”, and not for daily use.

12. No workout timer needed. It would be useful if there was audio monitoring of the exercises, since I cannot see myself in the mirror. It is clear that the application will not “see” me, but at least standard set written down phrases: “don’t lift your heels off the ground”, “shoulders back”, “tighten your stomach”, etc.

13. It would also make sense if the application itself counted how many times I did sit-ups/push-ups based on my movements and recorded this (as, for example, standard application“Health” counts steps/kilometers/floors).

And there can be many more such “useful things” - embedding search and communication with other road users into the same application, and so on.

P.S.

Of course, I visited the website, where both the “100 site-day workout” program and the mobile application “come from”. Workout.su is a project created by one of the fans of such a “lifestyle” as workout, for like-minded people around the world. All information received by the guys from open sources and own experience, analyzed, processed, structured and presented in a fairly accessible and interesting way in the form of text, photo and video content. I really really liked what and how they write. The information posts on the site are not only useful, but also extremely fascinating reading.

I gained great sympathy and respect for the work that the project participants did and are doing. Therefore, I would really like the developers and owners of the project to take the criticism of their mobile application correctly, work on it and make it truly cool and useful.

With a pleasant, in your opinion, design, convenient functionality, useful options, released a product release, but... Despite powerful marketing support, users began to leave for competitors.

What's the matter? There may be several reasons. One of the most likely ones is problems with the usability of your mobile application. Competent usability testing will help you avoid such a situation and eliminate all shortcomings in advance. The procedure for this is as follows.

Step 1. Installation of the analytics system in the mobile application

When developing a mobile application, you should immediately integrate into it: Yandex.Metrica, Google.Analytics, Flurry, Mixpanel. After some time, say, in a month, the service will provide information about who, and most importantly, how they use the mobile application.

For example, Flurry parses:

• number and basic characteristics of users (gender, age, geography of application use)
• application launch frequency
• number and length of sessions
• navigation and events within the application (transitions between screens)
• malfunctions

All this data will help you understand what trajectories users move within the application, which screens they most often leave, and what this may be related to.

Let's say that in most cases the user exits the application at the stage of filling the cart. What could be the reasons?

• The visitor cannot figure out how to fill out the main fields in the Cart.
• Doesn't see some of the items in the cart and doesn't understand whether they have been added or not.
• It is not obvious to the user whether the payment went through or whether any difficulties arose.

To test application abandonment hypotheses, you need to test the usability of the application on various characters and scenarios.

Step 2. Creating characters and scenarios for working in the mobile application

Characters and scenarios are a good tool for describing the target audience of the application.

A character is, on the one hand, a kind of abstraction, a simulated representative of a segment of the audience, and on the other, a very specific person with his own behavioral characteristics, habits, and needs. Based on them, a user interaction scenario with the application is built.

In the case of an online shopping application, the scenario might look something like this:

• launching the application
• input search query
• choice interesting option in search results
• study of characteristics
• studying reviews
• order
• receiving notifications about delivery times

After installing the analytics system, creating characters and scenarios for using the mobile application, it’s time to move on to...

Step 3. Usability testing itself

For a usability test of a mobile application, you need to find several people who best match the description of the characters, create a list of tasks for them so that the respondents go through the necessary scenarios in the application. If the application allows for the purchase of goods or services, you must provide users with a bank card.

During testing, respondents should be given specific goals and observed exactly how they will be implemented.

Usability evaluation sheets should note:

• whether the goal was achieved in the mobile application
• what difficulties arose during testing
• how much time the user had to spend to achieve the goal

Step 4. Analysis of the received data

After testing, you should study the evaluation sheets and analyze at what stages of work in the mobile application difficulties arise.

One of possible reasons- errors in . An overloaded interface, complex and incomprehensible navigation, a multi-stage registration system - all this will confuse the user and prevent him from performing targeted actions in the application.

Step 5. Conclusions and troubleshooting

Making a list critical errors, you need to improve the usability of the mobile application, and then carry out control test and make sure that the application works much better.

Usability testing of a mobile application – an important part its success among the target audience. It is recommended to conduct a usability audit both at the prototype stage and after the release of the mobile application. And then a couple of times a year - to eliminate errors in a timely manner and, of course, to stay in the trend of mobile development.

To find out how convenient a website or other software product is for users, you need to ask them themselves. But it is believed that testing on “live people” takes a lot of effort and time from the developer and/or owner of the resource.

For this case there are online tool s for usability testing. They help to find out how well the product meets user expectations, and at the same time, save time and money on research.

This article provides an overview of ten simple and available tools for usability testing of websites. What’s nice is that all of the applications described, with the exception of the last one, can be used for free: they do not require payment at all or have free versions with limited functionality.

First there is a description of all ten applications, and then comparison table, which reflects their main characteristics.

UsabilityHub

There are three online tools available on the site that allow you to test the usability of a site or web application using screenshots of pages.

Optimal Workshop

On the OptimalWorkshop site you can optimize your site using three different tools:

• Optimalsort is a tool that helps you organize your website structure using the card sorting method.
• Treejack - multi-level testing application information architecture(IA) site. To start testing, the website structure needs to be organized as a table and loaded into Treejack.
• Calkmark is designed for testing the usability of web pages. It helps you understand how easy (or difficult) it is for site users to find necessary information. To get started, we upload a screenshot of the web page and set some task for users. Calkmark aggregates responses and displays test results as a heatmap of clicks, and also reports the average time it takes to complete each task.

For each type of testing, we set the tasks ourselves, and then we find users ourselves and invite them to participate in the study.

IN free version You can only create small projects, with the following restrictions:

• OptimalSort: ten participants and 30 cards per survey.
• Chalkmark and Treejack: 10 participants and 3 survey tasks per survey.

This free online tool can be integrated into your website. It creates a short survey for site visitors, consisting of only 4 questions. The questions are formulated in such a way as to elicit the most reliable feedback from users.

Integrates with Google Analytics and is available in 10 languages, although Russian, unfortunately, is not among them yet.

Feng-GUI

Feng-GUI simulates the user's gaze during the first 5 seconds of exposure visual effect. This app creates a heatmap of the eyes on the page based on an algorithm that predicts what a real person is likely to look at.

Right on home page site, you can upload a screenshot and see the likely areas of increased visitor attention.

ClickHeat

This is free software with open source integrates into the website and creates a visual heat map of clicks of web page visitors. And since the ClickHeat code is located directly on the server, the map reflects the result of the work real users site.

WebVisor

A Russian system that, after installing javasript code on site pages, allows you to track and analyze user behavior.

With its help you can:

• Record the actions of site visitors: clicks, scrolling, keystrokes, filling out forms, highlighting and copying text.
• Play back recorded actions in live video mode.
• Conduct detailed analytics of the behavior of website visitors.
• Create user activity maps: heat maps of clicks, attention maps and scroll maps.

In the free version, 100 visits per day are recorded, 2 of them are reproduced for analysis, and the data is stored in the WebVisor system for two days.

SitePolice

Another Russian-language online tool for website usability testing. It allows site owners to test their resource with the help of auditors, and auditors to earn money with their labor.

How it works?

• The customer submits his website to the “police officers”, formulates several questions to which he would like answers and chooses tariff plan audit.
• Auditors write a report on the site in almost free form. The report has only two required sections: “analysis of site usability and ways to solve problems” and “general conclusion.” For their reports and activity on the site, “police officers” receive points, which they can then turn into money.
• If the audit customer does not mind, then all “police officers” reports remain on the service website for general viewing.

Unfortunately, there is no free or trial version of the service for audit customers.

Comparison table of usability testing tools

Name	Russian language	Who tests	Test objects	Test results	Availabilityfreeversions
UsabilityHub	Eat	Service testers; other UsabilityHub users	Web page screenshot	Answers to questions formulated at the beginning of the test; heat map clicks	Free with restrictions - users of the free version must test other people's sites themselves
UserPlus	Eat	On your own using a questionnaire; service testers (in beta version)	Web page screenshot	Assessing the page for compliance with international standards	Free with a limit of one screenshot per month

13.07.2017 00:35

Conducting usability testing is one of the stages of development of any software. This service is provided by A1QA, which has been working in the field of software quality testing for more than 14 years. Over the years, the company has been able to become one of the industry leaders, largely thanks to the constant improvement of the qualifications of its employees. The fact is that QA belongs to the type of field of activity where even a short downtime threatens a complete loss of qualifications, since current trends quickly replace each other. Now the company has 8 competence centers, offices in Russia, Belarus, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA, and 500 quality engineers on staff. A1QA also has its own Academy - a place where both professionals in the testing industry and beginners can learn something new and improve their skills.

What is meant by usability?

In general, usability is ease of use. This term is also used in microeconomics, denoting the characteristics of the convenience of a particular item. In IT, usability means the convenience of a program, website, or application for the user. It helps answer several questions at once:

● Does the interface fulfill its intended purpose? Does it attract attention, does it make you want to continue learning the software, is it easy to find function buttons and links?

● Which interface elements are more noticeable than others? Usability testing helps to find out whether important buttons and icons are “conspicuous”.

What aspects of usability are important to the user?

When entering a website or launching an application, the user expects ease of navigation. Feedback performance is also important: how quickly does support respond to questions in the chat window? Is it possible to write a letter and attach screenshots to it? When the support operator is not working, is there alternative way report a problem?

It will also be necessary to determine how long it takes for the user to fully adapt to the features of the application, and compare real routes of transition from page to page with conversion routes, that is, profit-generating routes.

What methods are used when testing in A1QA?

In order not to miss a single detail (which in the future can have a strong impact on usability), the company practices a dual approach to testing.

First of all, during usability testing, an expert analysis is carried out. Experts analyze use cases software product, testing different interface prototypes to choose from optimal option, systematize the identified problems and analyze their causes.

In addition to experts, specially created focus groups are involved in testing. The task of members of such groups is to use the software, and all errors identified during this are recorded and checked by specialists. Due to the fact that the involved testers are not familiar with the system, they are able to point out intuitively incomprehensible options and places in the program, which will then be corrected.

What will the testing done by specialists give?

A competent approach to testing all aspects of software quality, including its usability, can significantly improve the operation of an application, website, or corporate IT system. As a result, user satisfaction with the product they receive increases, which also affects the commercial success of the development. By increasing user loyalty, you work for the future: knowing that one of your works is highly rated, they will be more willing to purchase or download your other software products.

At A1QA, usability testing is handled by a separate competency center. Experts with IBUQ certificates work on projects, which already guarantees high quality execution of all stages of work.

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