Reading, week 2 (Usability)

1)
Definition of 'Usability in-life.'
Usability in-life is essentially evaluating an product, item or event in the real world to see how effective it is use. For instance, self service checkout machines. To evaluate them, you would get a strong number of users, e.g 10 and give them tasks to be completed in a supermarket and a specific time e.g buy 1 banana and 1 apple and 1 bottle coke. You would note down the time taken, compared to using a cashier, the users mood e.g fustrated or satisfied and the time taken compared to using a cashier.

2)
Difference between 'usability in itself' & 'usbaility in-life'.
Usability itself is primarily focused on pre-scripted tasks which are conducted away from the 'world' such as in a lab in an controlled environment. Although you are still getting results from these tests, the users may have no real motivation or reason to do these tasks. The tasks may not be relevant to real life activities, for instance if you are testing an ticket machine, one task may be 'please buy a single ticket from Liverpool to London on a ticket machine..' Here the time may be taken from several users and then compared on a base time.

As for usability in-life, the tasks may be occur in a natural environment , but will be the same as the 'usability itself' task ; 'please buy a single ticket from Liverpool to London on a ticket machine..' But as it would be done in the 'real' world users will face other natural tasks and obstacles such as pedestrians and rush hour. The information noted, when the users are completing these tasks would be how successfully it was done, the expressions and frustrations, how many people gave up and comparisons with the 'human' service.