WSTF: Usability Tasks - please comment

Dear all,

In the after-call discussion last week we discussed using some of the usability tasks that were done during the pilot tests a few months ago.  Please comment if you would recommend changing/removing/adding tasks.  We will most likely not be able to do all of these at the two upcoming conferences so we need to pare them down a bit I think.

One suggested addition from the phone conference (though Task 5 may be too similar - comments?):

Task: You would like to contribute to WAI by joining a working group.  Locate the Working Groups descriptions to find out what opportunities there are.

You can view them online at: http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/Drafts/UCD/questions.html#tasks, but they are also provided below:

Task 1
This is the homepage of a Web site dedicated to Web-related accessibility issues. Please give me your initial reactions to this page. Feel free to explore this page as you normally would. You can scroll around with your mouse, but please don't click on anything just yet.

Facilitator will ask:

  a.. Have you ever seen this Web site before? 
  b.. Please give me your initial impressions about the layout of this page and what you think of the colors, graphics, photos, etc. 
  c.. Without clicking on anything yet, please describe the options you see on the home page and what you think they do. Feel free to move around the page, but again I'll ask you not to click on anything right now. 
  d.. Without clicking on anything yet, if you were exploring, what would you click on first? 
  e.. What do you think is the purpose of this site? 
  f.. Who do you think this site is intended for? 
  g.. Whose Web site is this? 
Task 2
I'm going to give you five minutes to freely explore this Web site. You may go anywhere you would like to go on the Web site, but please remember to speak aloud as you do so. I will tell you when the five minutes are up.

Task 3
Your friend Kevin mentions hearing about something called "the Web Accessibility Initiative" but he isn't sure what it is. Using this Web site, determine whether or not it contains information that would address Kevin's question.

Task 4
Your team at work is developing a Web site and you have some concerns about how accessible the Web site might be to persons with disabilities. Using this Web site, determine whether or not it contains general hints about what Web developers need to know about Web accessibility.

Task 5
A few of your colleagues are interested in finding out how to be a part of WAI's effort to develop guidelines for Web accessibility. Using this Web site, determine whether or not opportunities exist for becoming involved in WAI guideline development.

Task 6
You have just been handed a report, generated by a Web accessibility evaluation tool, which informs you that your company Web site contains graphs that do not meet "Checkpoint 1.1."

Using this Web site, a) determine what Checkpoint 1.1 is, and b) determine an appropriate strategy for representing these complex pictures.

Task 7
Your company is revising the online forms on its Web site. Find specific information on how to make the online forms accessible.

Task 8
A company with many global divisions and Web sites in many languages has asked for your opinion on how Web accessibility laws differ around the world. Using this Web site, determine whether or not it contains relevant information.

Task 9
You have been invited to be a presenter at a local conference on Web accessibility. Find information on this Web site that you would want to use to help you prepare your talk.

Task 10
The company division you work in is responsible for making sure that your corporate Web site is accessible. How can your team use the WAI Web site to determine the accessibility of your company Web site?


Regards,
Carol Smith
carol@kognitive.com