IMAT 5209 Human Factors: E-commerce Website Usability Evaluation

This report presents a usability evaluation of an e-commerce website, focusing on human factors in design. It defines use cases such as browsing the catalog, creating and updating accounts, managing the shopping cart, and processing payments and returns. The evaluation methodology employs a think-aloud protocol and interviews to gather user feedback on various tasks associated with each use case. The report details the evaluation procedure, including task selection, user interaction, opinion recording, and a rating system. Evaluation criteria include user interface, browsing speed, account creation complexity, ease of information updates, account cancellation, shopping cart maintenance, payment options, and help request processing. The study aims to identify areas for improvement in the website's design to enhance user experience and usability. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and resources for students.

Running head: HUMAN FACTOR IN DESIGN
HUMAN FACTOR IN DESIGN
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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HUMAN FACTOR IN DESIGN
Table of Contents
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................2
Use case diagram........................................................................................................................5
Evaluation methodology:...........................................................................................................9
Evaluation procedure:................................................................................................................9
Conclusion:..............................................................................................................................23
References:...............................................................................................................................25

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Introduction:
The interactive website that is considered for this paper is an ecommerce website
(Www. Online shopping.com). The ecommerce website is the modern form of the shopping
that has completely taken the shopping experience to a new level. It do not even require to
visit the market or the shopping mall. All it is require is the internet connection and a
computing device such as mobile, laptop or the personal desktop. The user just need to visit
the E-commerce website and create an account. Although the user is able to view the
products of website without creating the account, similar to the window shopping in the
traditional shopping system. However account creation is necessary for making the purchase.
User can opt for the desired payment mode like cash on delivery or online payment like credit
and debit card. Once the payment mode is selected the user then have to select the address for
the delivery of the product. The product will be delivered to the user on the provided address
on the date that is communicated to the customer after the payment is successful.
Defining the Use cases:
As the ecommerce website creates or simulates the real world shopping environment,
the human factor is an important consideration in the design principle of the website. It
should blend the human aspect of design to the technology that is actually responsible for the
design (Bernaards et al., 2016). As the system will interact with the humans, the system
should be interactive enough so that it increases the interaction of the users and enhance the
usability of the system. In order to understand the usability of the system the use cases of the
website has to be defined first (Abersek 2015). The use case can be thought of a collection or
a series of activities that records or defines the details description of the user interaction with
the system. An ecommerce website consists of several features (Satterfield 2016). A user

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when goes through the system will interact with these features. Now the user case helps to
define the way user will interact with the system while accessing the features and what the
user is likely to do or experience while doing the same (Bellamy, 2015). It is also an effective
way to evaluate the usability of the system as it deals with the actual experience of the user of
the website. An interactive system is effective when it makes the interaction with system
engaging as well as intuitive and simple. The use case helps to investigate this feature with
more details (Mullen and Satterfield 2014). The use cases for the website considered in this
context has been clearly defined in the following section. The description includes the use
case, action it performs or associate with. Another important step of defining proper user case
of the system it is important to identify, who are the actors. An actor is the one who performs
the task against the particular use case. The actor for the website has been described in the
following section along with the use cases considered for the system or the ecommerce
website in this case.
Use cases Deals with Primary actor
1. BROWSE CATALOG How the products
available on the site is
accessed
User
3. creating new account How new account is
created for the website
User
4.account information update The process of adding new
information to the existing
account
User
5.cancelling the registered account The process of removing User

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and deleting the user
account
6. maintaining online shopping cart The process of adding or
removing item to the
shopping cart
User
7. choice for payment The options provided to
the user for making
payment
User
8. online payment execution Actual payment made by
the user while making the
purchase
User
9.payment information navigation How the user avails
payment related
information from the
account
User
10. login/registration The interface provided for
account registration
Users (Customers,
Administrators)
11.return initiation and processing How user request for
return and the request is
processed by the system
Shipping/Receiving
Department, Support Personnel,
Customers, Card Payment
Vendor

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12. help request process How user connect with
customer care executive
for shopping related help
Customers, Support Personnel
Use case diagram
1.1 USE CASE DIAGRAM (HIGH LEVEL)
Figure 1: High Level Use Case Diagram
Explore Catalog
Maintain Account
Maintain Database
Maintain
Shopping
Cart
Process Returns
Customer
Administrator
Customer Support
Process Help
Request
System View
Credit
Institution
Shipping
Service
Manage
Financing Financing
Department
Login
n
<<includes>>
<<includes>>
<<includes>>

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HUMAN FACTOR IN DESIGN
1.2 USE CASE DIAGRAM (LOW LEVEL)
1.2.1 Process Help Request
Place Help
Request
Process ResponseCustomer
Customer Support
Process Help
Request

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HUMAN FACTOR IN DESIGN
1.2.2 Process Returns
1.2.3 Maintain Shopping Cart
Credit Institution (Visa, etc.)
will need to be involved in a
return validation for credit card
purchases.
Place Return
Request
Validate Return
Request
Customer Customer Support
Process Returns
Credit
Institution

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HUMAN FACTOR IN DESIGN
1.2.4 Maintain Account
1.2.5 Explore Catalog
Add New Item to
Catalog
Update Item
Information
Remove Item from
Database
Cancel
Customer
Account
Administrator
Maintain
Database
Add Promo/
Discount
<<includes>><<includes>>
<<includes>>
<<includes>>
<<includes>>
Login
Create New
Account
Update Account
Information
Customer
Maintain Account
Cancel
account
Account
Login
n
<<includes>>
<<includes>>

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HUMAN FACTOR IN DESIGN
1.2.6 Manage Financing
Search Catalogue
Browse CatalogueCustomer
Explore Catalog
Apply for
Financing
Make Online
Payments
Customer
Manage
Financing
Navigate Finance
Information
Financing
Department<<includes>>
<<includes>>
<<includes>>
Login

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HUMAN FACTOR IN DESIGN
Evaluation methodology:
Think allowed protocol and Interview has been selected for the evaluation purpose as
it is an effective approach (De Craemer and Lien 2017). Think allowed protocol involves the
actual users and the users are asked to spend time with the system and explore the various
features that have been selected for the evaluations method and defined in the use cases
(Bellamy et al., 2015). The users use the features and develop an opinion about the system. In
order to record the opinion the next step that is followed is the interview (Boyer and
Thompson, 2014). User are asked questions like how smooth the experience is while
exploring the system, things that they like , things what they did not like and features that
needs improvement (Chastin et al., 2016). It is an effective and time saving evaluation
methodology as it involves the actual user and also help to understand the need and scope of
improvement from the user point of view.
Evaluation procedure:
The procedure that will be followed for the evaluation method will take the following
approach:
 The use case is defined
 Selecting the task to be followed for the use case
 User are made aware of the task and feature that are need to be executed
 User are performing the task that has been communicated to the user
 User develop opinion about the system after they review the system
 The opinion are recorded
 Rating system is developed
 User are asked to provide rating for the features against each of the use case
 The rating is collected for evaluation

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HUMAN FACTOR IN DESIGN
Task that have been considered for the evaluation:
Use cases Evaluation criteria Reason for selecting the
evaluation criteria
1. BROWSE CATALOG User interface
Speed of browsing
Access to catalogue and
cart
The major necessity of user
when they go through the
catalogue is that it should be
user friendly. The evaluation
of the catalogue would be
done based on its speed as
well as effectiveness. The
connectivity of the user is
also an important factor in
this.
2. Creating new account The complexity of finding
the ‘add new account’
option.
The effort required in
creating an account.
Data required in order to
open a new account.
The time consumed in
account creation and then
verification.
When a user creates na
account, it would be analysed
that weather it is easy or
difficult for the user. It is also
analysed weather the account
creation requires too much
data or just the relevant
information. This accessing
should be done for
understanding the usability of
the particular website.
3. Update of account The ease of adding new Every user would want the