Seven questions to judge a product
User experience means how it feels to use a product. Experts check it in seven areas. Each area is a question. Accessible: can people of determination use it? Credible: can the maker be trusted? Desirable: does it meet my need? Findable: if there is a problem, can I find the solution? Usable: is it easy to use? Useful: is it practical? Valuable: does it improve my life or help me learn? A product can be good in one area and weak in another. A robot that is very desirable but not usable will be left in a cupboard. A product that is easy to use but not credible may be unsafe. Use all seven questions, not only one, and give each a simple answer: yes, partly or no. Write down the reason in a few words, so someone else can check it.
| Area | The question | Example: a door lamp that flashes |
|---|---|---|
| accessible | Can people of determination use it? | It flashes, so it works without hearing |
| credible | Can the maker be trusted? | A teacher and the school club tested it |
| desirable | Does it meet my need? | It tells me when a visitor is at the door |
| findable | If there is a problem, can I find the solution? | A help sheet with big pictures is on the box |
| usable | Is it easy to use? | It has one big button |
| useful | Is it practical? | Its battery lasts a long time |
| valuable | Does it improve my life or help me learn? | I do not miss visitors and feel more independent |
Match game. Cut seven small papers and write the seven areas on them. Cut seven more and write the questions. Mix them, then match with a partner. After that, make up one new example for each area. Who finishes first?