Usability Study - AphasiaSoftwareFinder.Org

Background

• Conducted a usability study for the charity www.aphasiasoftwarefinder.org focused on users without aphasia (during HCI master's at City, University of London).

• Aphasia is a neurological condition that impacts people’s communication, including, speech, writing, and comprehension of written or spoken language. The website aphasiasoftwarefinder.org helps caregivers and people with aphasia find software products that can help with therapy or as aids. Observing users with aphasia was not the goal and was specifically prohibited for ethical reasons.

Objective

The usability of three key user journeys was studied as per the requirements of the charity:

• • finding software based on specific needs (type of therapy, type of device)

  • finding enough details about therapy software to decide if it is the right one for them

  • learning about who sponsors the website (the charity)

The charity was also curious about the following

• Users’ reaction to the homepage

• Overall UX of the website

Methodology

• Conducted a moderated remote usability test with a convenient sample of 6 users (without aphasia, the test was not meant for aphasia users).

• Participants were provided with an informational sheet about aphasia explaining the condition before they began their tasks and were asked to role-play as caregivers who find relevant software for people with aphasia.

• Conducted an exit survey to measure overall UX using a SUS score (system usability scale).

• Interviews were recorded with screen sharing; audio was transcribed.