Usability Evaluation Report for Urban Outfitters E-Commerce Website

This report provides a usability evaluation of the Urban Outfitters e-commerce website, assessing its functionality, user experience, and adherence to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Responsive Web Design (RWD) principles. The evaluation includes use cases, a detailed methodology, and test scenarios covering login/registration, product catalog browsing, search functionality, cart management, social media integration, information accessibility, platform independence, purchase processes, and site navigation. The report presents the results of the evaluation, highlighting both successful and failed test cases, along with a set of identified defects and recommendations for improvement. The findings reveal issues with social media integration, mobile platform user experience, and inconsistencies in design, offering valuable insights into the website's performance and areas for enhancement to improve user satisfaction and overall e-commerce experience.

qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqw
ertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwert
yuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyui
opasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiop
asdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasd
fghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfgh
jklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjkl
zxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxc
vbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvb
nmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm
qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqw
ertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwert
yuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyui
opasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiop
asdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasd
fghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfgh
jklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcv
Usability Evaluation
Urban Outfitters: E-Commerce Website
5/7/2018

Usability Evaluation
Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
Use Cases & Description.......................................................................................................................2
Evaluation Methodology.......................................................................................................................3
Test Scenarios & Test Cases..............................................................................................................3
Evaluation of the Site............................................................................................................................4
Findings of the Evaluation...................................................................................................................13
Test Cases Failed.............................................................................................................................13
Set of Defects..................................................................................................................................14
Recommendations...........................................................................................................................18
References...........................................................................................................................................19
1

Usability Evaluation
Introduction
Interactive Systems are the systems that are defined as the systems that offer enhanced
interactions between the humans and the system. These systems are based on the Human-
Computer Interaction (HCI) principles. The aim of these systems is to ensure that the system
users achieve enhanced user experience and satisfaction levels with the use of such systems.
There are software packages and applications that are now being designed using the HCI
principles. Some of the popular interactive systems include websites, mobile applications,
control panels for the electronic devices and gadgets, and many more.
The interactive system that is being evaluated in the report is an e-commerce websites
designed for Urban Outfitters. The website is designed for the company, Urban Outfitters, an
American multi-national retail company. The company has its headquarters in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania (Urbanoutfitters, 2018). The primary sets of users that utilize the website are
the adult men and women. The evaluation of the site has been done in the areas as functional,
non-functional, and user requirements. The interactivity and responsiveness of the site has
been evaluated on the basis of HCI principles and responsive web design keeping the user
perspectives and expectations in consideration. The following sections describe the
evaluation processes and results.
Use Cases & Description
Use Case Use Case Description
Login, Logout, &
Registration
Ability to the system actors to log in to the site with a
registered user account and to create one if the account is not
already made and end a session by logging out.
Product Catalogue Ability to allow the users to access the product catalogue by
viewing the product image, description, details, price, and
reviews
Search for an Item Ability to search for the specific item on the site by entering
the name or keyword
Cart management Ability to add, delete, modify products in the cart and to place
orders
Social Media Integration Ability to login and post from the social media accounts
Accessibility of Information Ability to access the information on the site without any
2

Usability Evaluation
broken links
Platform-Independence of
the Site
Ability to access the site on mobile and desktop platforms
Purchase an Item Ability to but an item(s) from the site by placing orders and
paying through various modes (Solano et al., 2016)
Site Navigation &
Consistency
Ability to smoothly navigate through the site and have
consistent layout, color scheme, theme, design, and placement
of sections
Evaluation Methodology
The evaluation methodology that is used to evaluate the interactivity and responsiveness of
the site is phased methodology using HCI and RWD principles. These are the design
principles that include the norms as consistency, error resolution, platform independence,
visual appeal, and usability to maximize the user experience on the site.
Test Scenarios & Test Cases
Sr. No Test Scenario Test Cases
1 Login, Registration, & Logout
Functionality
 Ability to login to the site by entering the id and password
 Ability to register on the site in case the account is not already
available
 Ability to modify and retrieve the account details
 Ability to logout from the site
2 Product Catalogue  Ability to access the products under different categories
 Ability to view the details of every product, such as the
product name, product description, product images, reviews
and comments on the product, and product price (Hartson,
Andre and Williges, 2001)
3 Search for an Item  Ability to enter the keyword and search for an item on the site
 Ability to sort and filter the search results
 Ability to be notified if the matching items are not found on
the site
4 Cart management  Ability to add products in the cart
 Ability to delete products from the cart
3

Usability Evaluation
 Ability to modify the quantity of the products added in the
cart
 Ability to proceed with the order placement from the cart
5 Social Media Integration  Ability to login from the social media accounts
 Ability to post information from the site on any of the
connected social media account (Hornbaek and Stage, 2006)
6 Accessibility of Information  Ability to access the information on the site
 Ability to read the textual content on the site
7 Platform-Independence of the
Site
 Ability to access the site on any of the web or mobile
platforms
8 Purchase an Item  Ability to place an order from the site by entering the shipping
address and contact details and making the payment using the
varied modes of payment available on the site (Rama, 2016)
9 Site Navigation & Consistency  Ability to navigate smoothly through the site on the web page
and between the pages
 Ability to ensure that there are no broken links on the site
 Ability to make sure that the color scheme and theme is
consistent all across the site (Zaharias and Poylymenakou,
2009)
 Ability to make sure that the site follows a consistent layout
on all the pages (Tromp, Steed and Wilson, 2003)
10 Site Security  Ability to securely log in and log out from the site
 Ability to view the security protocols applied on the site
Evaluation of the Site
Sr.
No.
Test Case Steps to Reproduce Expected Outcome Actual
Outcome
Test Case
Status
1 Ability to login to
the site by entering
the id and password
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Click on the Sign
The homepage of
the site shall be
visible to the user
The
homepage of
the site is
visible to the
user
Pass
4

Usability Evaluation
In link
3. Enter the Email
ID
4. Enter the
Password
5. Click on the Sign-
In button
2 Ability to register on
the site in case the
account is not
already available
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Click on the Sign
In link
3. Click on Create
an Account
4. Enter the required
details
The user shall be
allowed to login
from the newly
registered account
(Horsky et al.,
2010)
The user can
login from the
newly
registered
account
Pass
3 Ability to modify
and retrieve the
account details
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Click on the Sign
In link
3. Click on Forgot
Your Password
link
4. Enter the Email id
5. Click Submit
The password shall
be sent to the
registered email id
of the user
The password
is sent to the
registered
email id of the
user
Pass
4 Ability to logout
from the site
1. Access the
website from the
The session shall Session ends Pass
5

Usability Evaluation
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Click on the Sign
In link
3. Enter the Email
ID
4. Enter the
Password
5. Click on the Sign-
In button
6. Click on Sign out
button
end
5 Ability to access the
products under
different categories
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Access the
product catalogue
from the
categories as
Women, Men,
Apartment, Music
+ Tech, Beauty,
Swim +
Intimates, Gift
Cards, Sale
The products
matching with the
selected category
and sub-category
shall be displayed
The products
matching with
the selected
category and
sub-category
are displayed
(Davids et al.,
2013)
Pass
6 Ability to view the
details of every
product, such as the
product name,
product description,
product images,
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Access the
The product details
shall be visible to
the user
The product
details are
visible to the
user
Pass
6

Usability Evaluation
reviews and
comments on the
product, and product
price
product catalogue
from the
categories as
Women, Men,
Apartment, Music
+ Tech, Beauty,
Swim +
Intimates, Gift
Cards, Sale
3. View the product
details
7 Ability to enter the
keyword and search
for an item on the
site
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Enter the Search
Keyword and
search for an item
The matching
search results shall
be displayed
The matching
search results
are displayed
Pass
8 Ability to sort and
filter the search
results
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Enter the Search
Keyword and
search for an item
3. Sort/Filter the
results
The sorting of the
results shall be done
on the basis of
price, rating,
features, or
alphabetical order.
The filter options
shall include color,
brand, department,
size, and price
The sorting of
the results can
be done on the
basis of price,
rating,
features, or
alphabetical
order. The
filter options
include color,
brand,
department,
size, and price
Pass
9 Ability to be notified 1. Access the The user shall be The user is Pass
7

Usability Evaluation
if the matching items
are not found on the
site
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Enter the Search
Keyword and
search for an item
notified with a
message saying
matching search
results not found
notified with a
message
saying
matching
search results
not found
10 Ability to add
products in the cart
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Access the
product catalogue
from the
categories as
Women, Men,
Apartment, Music
+ Tech, Beauty,
Swim +
Intimates, Gift
Cards, Sale
3. View the product
details
4. Click on Add to
Bag
The product shall be
added and the bag
count shall increase
as per the quality
added
The product
can be added
and the bag
count is
increase as per
the quality
added
Pass
11 Ability to delete
products from the
cart
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Login to the site
The products shall
be deleted from the
cart
The products
is deleted
from the cart
Pass
8

Usability Evaluation
3. Click on the cart
4. Remove products
from the cart
12 Ability to modify the
quantity of the
products added in
the cart
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Login to the site
3. Click on the cart
4. Increase or
decrease the
quality of a
product
The cart shall be
updated with the
quality of the
product added or
deleted
The cart is
updated with
the quality of
the product
added or
deleted
Pass
13 Ability to proceed
with the order
placement from the
cart
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Login to the site
3. Click on the cart
4. Click on proceed
with the order
button
The order details
shall be displayed as
shipping address
and contact details
(Munaiseche and
Liando, 2016)
The order
details are
displayed as
shipping
address and
contact details
Pass
14 Ability to login from
the social media
accounts
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Select the social
media account to
be used to login
to the site
The user shall be
able to login using
social media
accounts
There is no
option to login
and post from
any of the
social media
accounts
Fail
9

Usability Evaluation
15 Ability to post
information from the
site on any of the
connected social
media account
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Select the social
media account to
be used to login
to the site
The user shall be
able to post from
the social media
accounts
There is no
option to login
and post from
any of the
social media
accounts
Fail
16 Ability to access the
information on the
site
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Click on the links
to the web pages
The information
sets shall be
accessible to the
users
The
information
sets are
accessible to
the users
Pass
17 Ability to read the
textual content on
the site
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Click on the links
to the web pages
The textual
elements on the
pages shall be
readable
The textual
elements on
the pages are
readable
Pass
18 Ability to access the
site on any of the
web or mobile
platforms without
any gaps in the user
experience
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
on desktop and
mobile platforms
The user experience
on the mobile
platforms does not
match the desktop
level
The mobile
platforms,
such as
Smartphones
and tablets
suffer from
over scrolling
and
Pass
10

Usability Evaluation
2. Browse the pages
of the site on
desktop and
mobile platforms
navigation,
the logo on
desktop and
mobile
versions is
different, and
there are
overlapping
issues
19 Ability to place an
order from the site
by entering the
shipping address and
contact details and
making the payment
using the varied
modes of payment
available on the site
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Login to the site
3. Click on the cart
4. Click on proceed
with the order
button
5. Enter the
shipping address
6. Enter Contact
Details
7. Proceed for
payment
8. Enter payment
details and make
payment
The order shall be
placed and an
acknowledgement
email shall be sent
over to the
registered email id
of the user
The order can
be placed and
an
acknowledge
ment email is
sent over to
the registered
email id of the
user
Pass
20 Ability to navigate
smoothly through
the site on the web
page and between
the pages
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
Navigation on the
web pages and
between the pages
shall be smooth
Navigation on
the web pages
and between
the pages is
smooth
Pass
11

Usability Evaluation
2. Navigate through
the web pages
21 Ability to ensure that
there are no broken
links on the site
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Navigate through
the web pages
There shall be no
broken links on the
site
There are no
broken links
on the site
Pass
22 Ability to make sure
that the color scheme
and theme is
consistent all across
the site
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Navigate through
the web pages
The color scheme
shall be consistent
across all the web
pages
The color of
the title bar is
different on
the homepage
and
subsequent
pages, such as
Contact Us
Fail
23 Ability to make sure
that the site follows
a consistent layout
on all the pages
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Navigate through
the web pages
The layout shall be
consistent across all
the web pages
The layout of
the homepage
and UO
Spaces page is
completely
different
Fail
24 Ability to securely
log in and log out
from the site
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Click on the Sign
In link
3. Enter the Email
ID
4. Enter the
Secure log in
option, such as One
time passwords or
biometric
recognition for
login shall be
activated
There is no
option of
multi-fold
authentication
on the site
Fail
12

Usability Evaluation
Password
25 Ability to view the
security protocols
applied on the site
1. Access the
website from the
URL
https://www.urba
noutfitters.com/
2. Click on the Sign
In link
3. Enter the Email
ID
4. Enter the
Password
5. Browse through
the web pages
The security
protocols are not
applied on the site
The user
cannot view
the security
protocols
applied on the
site
Fail
Findings of the Evaluation
Test Cases Failed
Sr. No Test Case Expected
Outcome
Actual Outcome
1 Ability to login from the social media
accounts
The user shall
be able to login
using social
media accounts
There is no option to login
and post from any of the
social media accounts
2 Ability to post information from the
site on any of the connected social
media account
The user shall
be able to post
from the social
media accounts
There is no option to login
and post from any of the
social media accounts
3 Ability to make sure that the color
scheme and theme is consistent all
across the site
The color
scheme shall be
consistent across
all the web
The color of the title bar is
different on the homepage
and subsequent pages, such
as Contact Us
13

Usability Evaluation
pages
4 Ability to make sure that the site
follows a consistent layout on all the
pages
The layout shall
be consistent
across all the
web pages
The layout of the homepage
and UO Spaces page is
completely different
5 Ability to securely log in and log out
from the site
Secure log in
option, such as
One time
passwords or
biometric
recognition for
login shall be
activated
There is no option of multi-
fold authentication on the
site
6 Ability to view the security protocols
applied on the site
The security
protocols are
not applied on
the site
The user cannot view the
security protocols applied
on the site
Set of Defects
The log in screen does not allow the user to log in from any of the social media accounts. The
user can only follow the social media channels of the organization but cannot log in and post
information on their own social media accounts from the site.
14

Usability Evaluation
Login Screen
The log in screen also does not have the option of secure login as only id and password is
required. There is no option of one time password or biometric authentication in the process
of log in.
There is consistency issue on the site. The color scheme of the title bar on the home page and
on the subsequent pages is not the same.
15

Usability Evaluation
Home Page of the site
Contact Us Page of the Site
There is also consistency issue in terms of the layout of the web pages. The logo of the
company on the mobile platforms is different from the web platforms.
16

Usability Evaluation
Company logo on Mobile Platforms
Company Logo on Web Platforms
17

Usability Evaluation
UO Spaces Page
The layout of the site on the UO spaces page does not match with the rest of the web pages.
The users can also not view the security protocols or information on the site. The security of
the information and data sets is necessary to be adequately implemented so that site
information remains safe. However, no such measures are taken on this site.
Recommendations
The log in option on the website shall allow the users to log in through the social media
accounts and to also provide enhanced security options. Consistency shall also be maintained
throughout the site in terms of the color scheme and layout. The mobile version of the site
suffers from the issues of navigation and too much scrolling on the site. The adjustment and
placement of the elements shall be determined accordingly. There must also be security
protocols and measures integrated with the site content and the web pages to avoid and
control any of the security risks and attacks on the information and data sets.
18

Usability Evaluation
References
Davids, M., Chikte, U., Grimmer-Somers, K. and Halperin, M. (2013). Usability testing of a
multimedia e-learning resource for electrolyte and acid-base disorders. British Journal of
Educational Technology, 45(2), pp.367-381.
Hartson, H., Andre, T. and Williges, R. (2001). Criteria For Evaluating Usability Evaluation
Methods. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 13(4), pp.373-410.
Hornbaek, K. and Stage, J. (2006). The Interplay Between Usability Evaluation and User
Interaction Design. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 21(2), pp.117-
123.
Horsky, J., McColgan, K., Pang, J., Melnikas, A., Linder, J., Schnipper, J. and Middleton, B.
(2010). Complementary methods of system usability evaluation: Surveys and observations
during software design and development cycles. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 43(5),
pp.782-790.
Munaiseche, C. and Liando, O. (2016). Evaluation of expert system application based on
usability aspects. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 128, p.012001.
Rama, N. (2016). A Novel Website Quality and Usability Evaluation Framework for Online
Shopping Websites. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 9(36).
Solano, A., Collazos, C., Rusu, C. and Fardoun, H. (2016). Combinations of Methods for
Collaborative Evaluation of the Usability of Interactive Software Systems. [online] Available
at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4089520 [Accessed 8 May 2018].
Tromp, J., Steed, A. and Wilson, J. (2003). Systematic Usability Evaluation and Design
Issues for Collaborative Virtual Environments. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual
Environments, 12(3), pp.241-267.
Urbanoutfitters (2018). Urban Outfitters. [online] Urbanoutfitters.com. Available at:
https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/ [Accessed 8 May 2018].
Zaharias, P. and Poylymenakou, A. (2009). Developing a Usability Evaluation Method for e-
Learning Applications: Beyond Functional Usability. International Journal of Human-
Computer Interaction, 25(1), pp.75-98.
19