Interaction Design, 5th Edition

Chapter 14INTRODUCING EVALUATION

1. 14.1 Introduction
2. 14.2 The Why, What, Where, and When of Evaluation
3. 14.3 Types of Evaluation
4. 14.4 Evaluation Case Studies
5. 14.5 What Did We Learn from the Case Studies?
6. 14.6 Other Issues to Consider When Doing Evaluation

 

Objectives

The main goals of this chapter are to accomplish the following:

• Explain the key concepts and terms used in evaluation.
• Introduce a range of different types of evaluation methods.
• Show how different evaluation methods are used for different purposes at different stages of the design process and in different contexts of use.
• Show how evaluation methods are mixed and modified to meet the demands of evaluating novel systems.
• Discuss some of the practical challenges of doing evaluation.
• Illustrate through short case studies how methods discussed in more depth in Chapters 8, 9, and 10 are used in evaluation and describe some methods that are specific to evaluation.
• Provide an overview of methods that are discussed in detail in the next two chapters.

14.1 Introduction

Imagine that you designed an app for teenagers to share music, gossip, and photos. You prototyped your first design and implemented the core functionality. How would you find out whether it would appeal to them and whether they will use it? You would need to evaluate it—but how? This chapter presents an introduction to the main types of evaluation and the methods that you can use to evaluate design prototypes and design concepts.

Evaluation is integral ...