linuxaudio.org

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On Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 8:34 PM, Devin Anderson wrote:
> HI Gabbe,

quoted text
>

> I hadn't considered this.  If I created such a survey, I would be

quoted text
> concerned that my own bias would be injected into the questions

> themselves.  Can you suggest a few sample questions that might exist

> in such a survey?

>

Generally, it's all about thinking about what you're actually after. For

example, simple open questions can be good (Like: "Do you experience any

issues using the interface? Please briefly describe them.") for getting a

general knowledge of where problems might lie. Maybe you've been messing

around with MIDI for several years and take for granted that your users

know that just aswell, when the fact might be that this is one of their

first experiences with MIDI. Also, leading questions are to be avoided

under any circumstances. For example "Do you like feature X?" is a bad way

of trying to find out if your features are good, as it implies you should

actually like feature X. If feature X shows up automatically in a question

like "Are there features you like in the program? If so, please describe

briefly which and why." it's way more accurate. I think the potential

"please the experimenter"-bias is a bit bigger here aswell when users might

feel they owe you to like the software as it's free, which also leads to

more biased answers unless handeled right.
But generally, starting off with fairly open questions to get a general

idea of what people have issues with is a good idea, until you have some

actual knowledge about what the issues might be.
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/ <- that's also

something to take a brief look at. Those heuristics are frequently used

when doing quick training of evaluators for usability, and might be worth

looking into when looking over your own UI. Evaluation using this could be

very effective, and easily taught to people. Maybe we should look into

having a couple of people getting trained with that (resources available

online for free naturally, and training is fairly short) so we can aid

developers in Linux Audio if they want the help. I'll look into this, I'd

love to get some more experience with evaluation anyway.
>

quoted text
> > c) Provide an easy way to donate. Some people actually have a good income

> > and can without a doubt donate money. Nicely asking to donate spare cash

> if

> > you're satisfied could probably generate some donations this way, if

> people

> > also are somewhat frequently reminded of it.

>

> I could add a mechanism like this to (a).

>

> > I have some experience of both UI-design and the principles around that,

> and

> > also constructing good surveys, and I would love to help out in any way I

> > can. Like someone else in this thread said, not everyone can code, but

> that

> > shouldn't stop them from being able to contribute.

>

> I can't speak for other developers, but I find your suggestions to be

> very helpful.

>

> On a personal note, I would absolutely love feedback on the UI design

> of both midisnoop and synthclone.  I don't have a problem with either

> UI, but UI design is *not* my forte, and I have a bias about the

> intuitiveness of both UIs, given that I built them.

>

I will for sure try and do some evaluation for you! I think I have enough

time for that this weekend even. I'll send you a personal e-mail about this

later today =) Love your enthusiasm/openness!.
Cheers
>

quoted text
> Thank you for all your help and feedback. :)

>

> --

> Devin Anderson

> surfacepatterns (at) gmail (dot) com

>

> blog - http://surfacepatterns.blogspot.com/

> midisnoop - http://midisnoop.googlecode.com/

> psinsights - http://psinsights.googlecode.com/

> synthclone - http://synthclone.googlecode.com/

>

--e89a8ff1c2c23aa94604d50c1ca0

Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1

Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
On Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 8:34 PM, Devin An=

derson <surfacepatterns@gmail.com> wrote:
HI Gabbe,=A0I ha=

dn't considered this. =A0If I created such a survey, I would be

concerned that my own bias would be injected into the questions

themselves. =A0Can you suggest a few sample questions that might exist

in such a survey?Generally, it's all about th=

inking about what you're actually after. For example, simple open quest=

ions can be good (Like: "Do you experience any issues using the interf=

ace? Please briefly describe them.") for getting a general knowledge o=

f where problems might lie. Maybe you've been messing around with MIDI =

for several years and take for granted that your users know that just aswel=

l, when the fact might be that this is one of their first experiences with =

MIDI. Also, leading questions are to be avoided under any circumstances. Fo=

r example "Do you like feature X?" is a bad way of trying to find=

 out if your features are good, as it implies you should actually like feat=

ure X. If feature X shows up automatically in a question like "Are the=

re features you like in the program? If so, please describe briefly which a=

nd why." it's way more accurate. I think the potential "pleas=

e the experimenter"-bias is a bit bigger here aswell when users might =

feel they owe you to like the software as it's free, which also leads t=

o more biased answers unless handeled right.

But generally, starting off with fairly open questions to get a general=

 idea of what people have issues with is a good idea, until you have some a=

ctual knowledge about what the issues might be. http://www.nngroup.c=

om/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/ <- that's also something t=

o take a brief look at. Those heuristics are frequently used when doing qui=

ck training of evaluators for usability, and might be worth looking into wh=

en looking over your own UI. Evaluation using this could be very effective,=

 and easily taught to people. Maybe we should look into having a couple of =

people getting trained with that (resources available online for free natur=

ally, and training is fairly short) so we can aid developers in Linux Audio=

 if they want the help. I'll look into this, I'd love to get some m=

ore experience with evaluation anyway.
=A0
> c) Provide an easy way to donate. Some people actually have a good inc=

ome

quoted text
> and can without a doubt donate money. Nicely asking to donate spare ca=

sh if

quoted text
> you're satisfied could probably generate some donations this way, =

if people

quoted text
> also are somewhat frequently reminded of it.

I could add a mechanism like this to (a).
> I have some experience of both UI-design and the principles around tha=

t, and

quoted text
> also constructing good surveys, and I would love to help out in any wa=

y I

quoted text
> can. Like someone else in this thread said, not everyone can code, but=

 that

quoted text
> shouldn't stop them from being able to contribute.

I can't speak for other developers, but I find your suggestions t=

o be

very helpful.
On a personal note, I would absolutely love feedback on the UI design

of both midisnoop and synthclone. =A0I don't have a problem with either=
UI, but UI design is *not* my forte, and I have a bias about the

intuitiveness of both UIs, given that I built them.I will for sure try and do some evaluation for you! I think I have enough=

 time for that this weekend even. I'll send you a personal e-mail about=

 this later today =3D) Love your enthusiasm/openness!.

Cheers=A0
Thank you for all your help and feedback. :)
--

Devin Anderson

surfacepatterns (at) gmail (dot) com
blog - h=

ttp://surfacepatterns.blogspot.com/

midisnoop - =

http://midisnoop.googlecode.com/

psinsights - http://psinsights.googlecode.com/

synthclone - http://synthclone.googlecode.com/
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