SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF ANIMAL CRUELTY

UNCC ENG2116
CHARLOTTE,NC
REPLY TO
ATTENTION OF THOMAS HITZ

7/23/2018

MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD

TO: SPCA Marketing Department

FROM: Thomas Hitz

DATE OF TRANSMITTAL: 7/26/2018

SUBJECT: Usability Study for Online Ordering Instructions

REFERENCE: Usability Study for Online Dog Toy Ordering Instructions

1. The purpose of this memorandum is to provide our marketing department with the
results of our usability study. This memorandum will outline the following:

a. What users found positive about these instructions.

b. What the users found needed to be improved in these instructions.
c. The results from the usability study.

Formatted: Normal, No bullets or numbering

2. TEST OBJECTIVES: Formatted: Font: Times New Roman, 18 pt, Bold
Formatted: Font: Times New Roman, Bold
The objectives of the usability study were as follows:
Formatted: Font: Times New Roman

i. To uncover any ambiguous language.

ii. To find any steps that require more attention.
iii. To determine if more visual ques are needed.
iv. To rate the effectiveness of the instructions.

The test volunteers where instructed to read the entire document to critique the
verbiage. They were then informed to follow the instructions in their entirety, excluding
entering in personal information and optional steps. Users were then presented with
after action questions upon completion of the instructions.
3. RESULTS:
The results of the usability study were overall very positive. We will summarize the
results in three sections: Area of Strength, Area for Improvement, and Questionnaire
results.

A. AREAS OF STRENGTH:
The usability study proved that the instructions are very well put together. All test
participants were able to complete the instructions in their entirety without
anyone quitting or failing to complete the test. Some key takeaways noted during
observation of participants:

i. The participants noted that the instructions were very thorough.

ii. The participants commented that they liked that the instructions would
work for more than one website.
iii. The participants commented that they liked the cautions and warnings

Formatted: Indent: Left: 0.5", No bullets or numbering

B. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT:
The usability study had minimal notes for areas of improvement. Most comments
were in regard to outside propriety information or a difficulty as a result of English
being a second language. Some notes for areas of improvement:

i. One participant was not familiar with what BBB.org was.Could use
more explanation for websites listed for use.
ii. Many websites do not allow you to check out as a guest and require a
log in.Some warnings and cautions are a misnomer.
iii. Step #17 could be a “warning” or “caution”
iv. Step by step instructions for amazon prime are not included.

C. QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS:
a) Close Ended Questionnaire Results:
Participants were presented with the following questions after completion
of the instructions:

1. Did you find the instructions frustrating?

a. Answers: All 4 participants responded “NO.”.
2. How would you rate the instructions from 1-5; 1 being unusable,
5 being the most satisfied?
a. Answers: All 4 participants responded with “5.”.
3. Would you recommend these instructions to a friend?
 a. Answers: All 4 participants responded with “Yes.”.

b) Open Ended Responses:

Participants were noted making the following comments while executing
the instructions:

a. “I like that you included this as part of the instructions”

Regarding to the HTTPS warning
b. “What is BBB.org?” in regards to reading the instructions on
selecting a website to view a company’s reviews.
c. “That was easy” when completing the instructions
d. “Number 17 could be a warning or a caution” after reading entire
instructions
e. “Amazon prime instructions are not included” in regard to a
subject being confused by seeing a picture of the amazon
homepage which is meant to be a generic picture of where a
checkout/cart is generally found on a website.

4. RECOMMENDATIONS:
Based on the comments outlined above, we are making the following
recommendationsrecommending the following:

i. Include “(Better Business Bureau)” next to the BBB.org link in step #5 to let
users know this is the Better Business Bureau..
ii. Change the verbiage in the “Optional” block in step #6 to let the user know
that most websites will not allow for a guest check out.
iii. Update step #17 to read as a caution or warning rather than a step to address
this step appropriately.
iv. The remaining improvement comments have been determined to stem from
English not being the first language of some participants and a work around
cannot be implemented in these cases.
v. All other features of the instructions will be retained due to high scoring on
usability study.

5.2. Please find attached copies (2) of the

original and revised instructions in appendixes.

6.3. The point of contact for this memorandum

is the undersigned at thitz@uncc.edu.
 Thomas Hitz
Heuristics Department Manager

Appendix A
(Original Instructions)

How to Order a Dog Toy Online

1. The purpose of this to instruct someone how to order canine toys online. The
following items are required to participate in this process:

a. Access to the internet

b. Access to an internet browser
c. A valid payment method for online purchases. Check with supplier for
accepted forms of payment such as:
i. Credit Card / Debit Card
ii. PayPal
iii. Bitcoin
d. An address recognized by postal carriers

2. Consider the type of canine you are ordering a toy for. Things to consider are:

a. Breed of dog
b. Age of dog
c. Temperament of dog
d. Purpose you are acquiring the toy such as:
i. Home damage prevention
ii. Dog oral health
iii. Dog time occupation / boredom

3. Obtain access to a computer that has a connection to the internet from an Internet
Service Provider.

4. Choose a search engine to browse companies that offer dog accessories. Some
examples of search engines include:

a. www.Google.com
 b. www.Yahoo.com
c. www.Bing.com

5. When you find a supplier with a product that satisfies your needs, utilize an online
review source to research consumer satisfaction and quality. Many websites will
allow consumers to review the quality of their past purchases directly on their
website however, some other options are:

a. www.Yelp.com
b. www.BBB.org
c. www.Google.com

6. Once you are satisfied with your supplier, continue to their website.

a. OPTIONAL: A good idea is creating a username that will allow you to

log in to the site in the future, thus allowing you to reorder previous
purchases.

7. Now browse their selection of available products for an item that suits your needs as
outlined above.

8. Once a suitable item has been found, click the “ADD TO CART” feature. Note that
the price listed may not include final cost with tax and shipping and be sure to read
fine print to see if anything is not included (batteries, items sold separately, etc.).

9. When you are satisfied with your selection of item(s), locate the “Checkout” or “Cart”
button which is generally located at the top of the screen.

(Location of Checkout/Cart button on www.amazon.com page)

10. You will now be taken to a summary of your order. Take this time to verify that only
the items you want have been selected. Pay close attention to the “Quantity” feature
to ensure that only the proper amount is ordered.
11. When you are satisfied with your summary, find the selection option that continues
the process. It may be “Submit Order” or similar in verbiage.

12. You will now be prompted to enter your desired shipping address. WARNING: Pay
close attention if you are shipping to an address that is not associated with your
billing address as many sites will give you options for such a scenario.

13. Next you will be prompted to enter your payment information. Select a payment
option available and enter the requested information. WARNING: look for “HTTPS”
in the address bar of your browser. If you do not see “HTTPS” then this website may
not be secure. Contact customer service, usually located at the bottom of the
website to ensure the security of your financial data.

14. You should now be taken to a final summary of your order, including tax and
shipping information. This is the final amount that you will be charged for services
rendered. Compare this amount to the amount you were willing to spend on this
purchase.

15. If everything is agreeable, click the button that will finalize your order.

16. When the item arrives, inspect it for deficiencies. If any are found, contact customer
service.

17. Read instructions of item before presenting to your animal, heed all safety concerns.

18. Make sure to utilize a review websites that you used in step number 5 to help guide
other future purchasers.
 Appendix B
(Revised Instructions)

How to Order a Dog Toy Online

Overview
1. The purpose of this to instruct someone
how to order canine toys online. The following items are required to participate in
this process:

a. Access to the internet

b. Access to an internet browser
c. A valid payment method for online purchases. Check with supplier for
accepted forms of payment such as:
i. Credit Card / Debit Card
ii. PayPal
iii. Bitcoin
d. An address recognized by postal carriers

2.1. Consider the type of canine you are

ordering a toy for. Things to consider are:

a. Breed of dog
b. Age of dog
c. Temperament of dog
d. Purpose you are acquiring the toy such as:
i. Home damage prevention
ii. Dog oral health
iii. Dog time occupation / boredom

3.2. Obtain access to a computer that has a

connection to the internet from an Internet Service Provider.

4.3. Choose a search engine to browse

companies that offer dog accessories. Some examples of search engines include:

a. www.Google.com Formatted: Numbered + Level: 2 + Numbering Style: a, b,

c, … + Start at: 1 + Alignment: Left + Aligned at: 1" +
b. www.Yahoo.com Indent at: 1.25"
c. www.Bing.com
5.4. When you find a supplier with a product
that satisfies your needs, utilize an online review source to research consumer
satisfaction and quality. Many websites will allow consumers to review the quality of
their past purchases directly on their website however, some other options are:

a. www.Yelp.com Formatted: Numbered + Level: 2 + Numbering Style: a, b,

c, … + Start at: 1 + Alignment: Left + Aligned at: 1" +
b. www.BBB.org (Better Business Bureau Website) Indent at: 1.25"
c. www.Google.com

6.5. Once you are satisfied with your supplier,

continue to their website.

a. OPTIONAL: A good idea is creating a username that will allow you to

log in to the site in the future, thus allowing you to reorder previous
purchases.
b. CAUTION: any websites no longer allow for guest check outs so this
may be mandatory depending on the supplier selected.

7.6. Now browse their selection of available

products for an item that suits your needs as outlined above.

8.7. Once a suitable item has been found, click

the “ADD TO CART” feature. Note that the price listed may not include final cost with
tax and shipping and be sure to read fine print to see if anything is not included
(batteries, items sold separately, etc.).

9.8. When you are satisfied with your selection

of item(s), locate the “Checkout” or “Cart” button which is generally located at the top
of the screen.
 (Location of Checkout/Cart button on www.amazon.com page)

10.9. You will now be taken to a summary of

your order. Take this time to verify that only the items you want have been selected.
Pay close attention to the “Quantity” feature to ensure that only the proper amount is
ordered.

11.10. When you are satisfied with your summary,

find the selection option that continues the process. It may be “Submit Order” or
similar in verbiage.

12.11. You will now be prompted to enter your

desired shipping address. WARNING: Pay close attention if you are shipping to an
address that is not associated with your billing address as many sites will give you
options for such a scenario.

13.12. Next you will be prompted to enter your

payment information. Select a payment option available and enter the requested
information.
 WARNING: look for “HTTPS” in the address bar of your browser. If you do not see
“HTTPS” then this website may not be secure. Contact customer service, usually
located at the bottom of the website to ensure the security of your financial data.

14.13. You should now be taken to a final

summary of your order, including tax and shipping information. This is the final
amount that you will be charged for services rendered. Compare this amount to the
amount you were willing to spend on this purchase.

15.14. If everything is agreeable, click the button

that will finalize your order.

16.15. When the item arrives, inspect it for

deficiencies. If any are found, contact customer service.

WARNING: Read instructions of item before presenting to your animal and heed all
safety concerns.

16. Make sure to utilize a review websites that you used in step number 5 to help guide
other future purchasers.

17.

SPCA CERTIFIED
INSTRUCTIONS