User testing in the wild: he has never used a computer

Re:User testing in the wild: he has never used a computer by rakkhi on Thursday July 07, 2011 @05:36AM (#2737863)

I was going to say the same thing. Touch seems so much more intuative, I have the Facebook web app looking at a photo album and I absently flick and it doesn't work... Those youtube videos of a 2 year old using an iPad also..

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:User testing in the wild: he has never used a computer by a3_nm on Thursday July 07, 2011 @09:51AM (#2738389)

I have seen a 3 year-old failing to grasp how to use the arrow keys to control a character in a game, but swipe to review pictures on an iPhone spontaneously. There is one indirection less, which probably makes all the difference.

(This does not mean that touch interfaces are better, though -- just that they are more intuitive.)

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:User testing in the wild: he has never used a computer by ern on Thursday July 07, 2011 @10:50AM (#2738644)

My two year old managed to figure out the iPad, far better than I would have guessed. He can find games and load them himself, and uses the safety of the Home button to get out of confusing situations. He has also attempted to translate the interaction method to the PC, without much success (he recently pushed the round "off" button on a monitor, because it looks like the iPad home button).

My grandmother also figured out the iPad's UI quickly, although she has almost zero experience using computers, and struggles to work her phone. I didn't explore how much more she could do with it though.

Surprisingly though, my father in law, a doctor with some computer experience, struggled a little with his iPad, and only uses it for online banking. I think it had to do with un-learning his old habits.

What I guess from this very small sample is that a touch interface is more intuitive for novices, but could be troublesome for those with some, limited computer experience.

I'm sure there's tons of research being done into this stuff...hopefully it will be distilled into an accessible form soon [an updated Design of Everyday things say].

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:User testing in the wild: he has never used a computer by gregpilling on Thursday July 07, 2011 @09:57AM (#2738405)

my three year old figured out how to move around in my Nook by himself. I opened up a 'read-to-me' book and he grabbed the Nook from me and just started swiping. It was pretty neat to see how rapidly he picked up on what to do. He is now a devoted Angry Birds player on it too.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:User testing in the wild: he has never used a computer by Splines on Thursday July 07, 2011 @11:39AM (#2738889)

Those youtube videos of a 2 year old using an iPad also..

My 2-yr old has gleefully wiped my PIN-locked iPhone several times, as it was synced to corporate Exchange (Here Daddy! sigh Thank you, dear).

[ Parent | on HN ]