Mitch DeRidder
11-21-2005

Goals

• Identify problems in understanding or operating the proposed Astra user interface.

• Obtain usability feedback from both existing authorizers and from similar persons who are not current Astra users.

• Collect some information from current Astra authorizers as to what tasks are most common.

Design

The study will be split into a first and second half.  In the interim, the prototype can be modified to address feedback from the first half of the study.

Participants

Approximately equal numbers of experienced authorizers and naïve users will be recruited for each half of the study, for a total of 12 participants overall.  Up to three participants per day will be scheduled in individual sessions of 1.5 hours duration.

Prototype

The nature of the prototype and its development plan are TBD.  The prototype would support the tasks sketched out in the following section.

Preliminary Questions

The following questions would be asked only of experienced Astra authorizers:

1. What's the most typical task for which you use Astra?
2. What other things do you do with Astra?
3. Is there anything about Astra that you've found frustrating?

Some follow-up questions may also be asked.

Task Sketches

General scenario: You're an Astra authorizer for the Illuminative Studies department, which is assigned the organization code 1-3-45-67-000.

Authorize access for an individual

Task:  Give John (EID 12345678) authorization to <TwoSpecificAuths> with application Z.

Goals:

• Look up a user by employee ID.

• Create a pending authorization for an individual.

• Create a second pending authorization for the same person.

Delete access for an individual

Task:  Donald Trump has been terminated from his position at UW.  Eliminate his access authorizations to application Z.

Goals:

• Look up a user by full name.
• Delete a user's authorizations for an application.

Look up a user's authorizations by last name

Task:  See if Jellanna Smith has <SpecificAuth> for application Z.  (You aren't sure how her first name is spelled.)

Goals:

• Look up a user by last name.
• Verify the user's authorizations for a particular application.

Wrap up for now #1

Note:  This task would be presented only if the user has authorization changes pending at this point.

Task: (Let's pretend that ...) You've finished specifying authorization changes for today.  If you need to perform any wrap-up, please go ahead and do it now.

Goal:  Commit the pending authorizations.

Create and save a custom search

Task:  View all the authorizations for application Z in organization code 1-23-45-67-010, which is the Reconstructive Visioning division.  Save your search criteria so that you can view this list again in the future.

Goals:

• Retrieve a custom list of authorizations.
• Save a set of custom search criteria.

Edit an authorization

Task:  For the users of app Y in payroll unit code (PUC) 0331, ensure that the dollar limit restriction is no less than $3000.  Take care not to reduce anyone's dollar limit.

Goals:

• Look up users by payroll unit code.
• Edit the authorizations of specific users.
• Experience no confusion due to UI feedback as to the effect of these changes.

Wrap up for now #2

Note:  This task would be presented only if the user has authorization changes pending at this point.

Task:  (Let's pretend that ...) You've finished specifying authorization changes for today.  If you need to perform any wrap-up, please go ahead and do it now.

Goal:  Commit the pending authorizations.

Use a saved custom search

Task:  See which users have <SpecificAuths> for application Z in your Reconstructive Visioning division.  That's the same group you looked up earlier (or yesterday, if Wrap-up #2 was presented).

Goals:

• Use a saved search.
• Find and interpret a set of authorizations within a larger list, where that set is specified by application and type of authority.

Create access for a set of individuals

Task:  Application A has just been set up for organization code 1-23-45-67-890.  Give everyone in that division the authority to <SpecificAuths> with that app.

Goal:  Create identical pending authorizations for a set of users defined by org code.

Perform a custom notification

Task:  Sasha Pest has asked you to give Earnest the right to <Auth> in application Z.  His university user ID (UID) is ernie.  Give Earnest that right, notifying Sasha of the change.  Sasha's UID is spest.

Goals:

• Look up a user by user ID.
• Specify a custom notification.
• Transmit the custom notification only as pertinent.

Wrap up for now #3

Note:  This task would be presented only if the user has authorization changes pending at this point.

Task:  (Let's pretend that ...) You've finished specifying authorization changes for today.  If you need to perform any wrap-up, please go ahead and do it now.

Goals: 

• Commit the pending authorizations.
• Transmit the custom notification only as intended.

Reporting

During the interim period, I'll compile a list of problems, with participants affected, tracking whether each participant was Astra-experienced or Astra-naïve.  I'll also note any UI changes, implemented during the interim period, that are intended to prevent each problem's reoccurrence.

When the study closes, I'll prepare a final compilation of the problems observed, the interventions tried, and suggestions for future changes.  A more formal report will follow as time permits.