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Project idea: INTEST - Intelligent Internet Usability Test
Technologies: Communication, Human-machine-interface, Other, Software, web & networks, Standardisation / interoperability specialist Org
We are looking for the following organisations: University, Research institution, SME, Large Enterprise, End user organisation, Evaluation (trials) specialist organisation, Business partner
Action type: Testing / Trials, User perspective, Service innovation, Other
Applications: Information and learning, Mobility, Social interaction, Hobbies , Other
Looking for partners in the following Countries : Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Turkey, United Kingdom
It is a known fact that seniors have problems accessing web pages and/or services. Beside age-related challenges, lack of familiarity with the technology and trust, the majority of the problems are design-related. Number of web pages is designed by “experts” for “experts”.
On the other hand, making the web a senior-friendly place is on the agenda of the EU (Digital Agenda 2020). To create new senior-friendly sites and overhaul existing sites, tools are necessary that help designers certifiably create senior-friendly web sites and services.
Target Audience
Seniors using the web, who want to use it independently, need services that are comfortable to use. It is the task of the designers to create and maintain these. Designers could largely benefit from a reliable evaluation tool that point out the flaws and weaknesses of their web pages.
The Idea
The solution is an integrated test environment, based on intelligent software, to facilitate the work of experts assessing the “senior-friendliness” of web sites and services.
The proposed solution combines hardware and software, building on experience gained from a previous project, closed successfully.
The evaluation of the web page will be done on 2 levels. On a first level, it will be evaluated in terms of compliance with different accessibility standards and guidelines (e.g. WCAG), with the elderly in mind. This happens at code level and is available for the most part even today. It is less straightforward, nevertheless, in the case of mash-ups and several web 2.0 technologies (which on the other hand are pervasive). This test will be fully automated and will lead to an “initial level” usability certification.
Design problems, like the inappropriate placement of essential information, cannot be detected using this method and will be addressed through a second testing level.
Different metrics, such as mouse and keyboard usage, eye motion, facial expression, physiological parameters, are recorded and, using statistical models, the usability of the web site is expressed qualitatively and quantitatively. The evaluation of the collected data is done by a qualified person, leading to a “high level” certification of senior-friendliness.
Hardware is necessary to record some of the aforementioned metrics. It is essential for the hardware not to interfere with the user, to avoid falsified results. Comfortable, unobtrusive but reliable sensors are needed.
An integrated solution is the goal, which covers as many aspects of the testing of web sites as possible, simplifying the task of the expert evaluator. Within the scope of this project e-government, e-banking and shopping via the web will be targeted.
Business Opportunities
In the centre of the business model is the SME that provides web site usability evaluation services. Other companies would hire them to have their web sites tested. The test results will then be used by the web designers to improve their sites. Larger companies or web developers may buy this system for their own use.
By stepping up the agenda of the Riga Agreement, the EU has created such business opportunities. With better services, the seniors will be using the web more frequently, improving their quality of life and generating an increase of this market.
