“Thinking-aloud” method as a “Find and fix” investigation while producing inclusively designs for cognitive disabilities I
Briefing and citations
Lewis(1982) & Philips(2020)
Well, to start, its necessary to bring a definition about what is “Thinking-aloud” method, as well as bring some questions to open the discussion.
“As known as a method for studying mental processes in which participants are asked to make spoken comments as they work on a task, The method is appropriate for stuying cognitive problems that people have in learning to use a computer system.”(LEWIS, 1982)
“What does accessibility mean to you?”
To help with this question, Phillips (2020) created something called the 3 levels of accessibility.
“There are 3 crucial points throughout a project where accessibility should be influenced. Each level supports the next and depending on its execution will vary in strength. For example, if level 1 was poorly executed it would be difficult for your users to reach the 2nd level or your product altogether” (PHILLIPS, 2020)
Level 1 — Strategy & Reach
“The first and arguably the most important level, the one that provides a solid foundation for accessibility. It requires an understanding of who the users/customers are, what the product is for, how will it be accessed” Phillips (2020)
Level 2 — Design & Clarity
“accessibility is a team game the next level is primarily for designers to incorporate and think about when designing products. Input from developers is also crucial at this stage to ensure ideas are technically possible and won’t impact level 1’s agreed with accessibility guidelines.” Phillips (2020)
Level 3 — Implementation & Inclusivity
“This is the level that is typically the most difficult to attain. It can be an uphill battle if accessibility is squarely left to designers and not the team. It is crucial that developers also have the mindset to apply accessible code. Regardless of how users interact with a product whether that be through sight, touch, or sound.” Phillips (2020)
“Accessibility is a critical part of a product’s strategy, design, and implementation. Each stage in turn provides product reach, clarity, and inclusivity. It can have serious consequences on the success of a project by influencing the overall user experience. It is not just for designers but a project team as a whole to take responsibility of and own.” Phillips (2020)
With acessibility terms more understood, we can start open ourselves to reflect about the relation with the TA method.
As known, “This technique was develop and popularized within cognitive phycchology by Newell and Simon (1972) for the study of problem-solving.”
The method tries to catch up in the interaction with the user some interesting aspects, that could maybe help in future corrections when applied. Some of the point of view that are developed with the application could be:
“What is s/he trying to do, what questions or confusions s/he is concerned about, what s/he expects will happen next, and the like”(LEWIS, 1982)
It is also needed to compare and show some of the disadvantages and limitations that can appear in the way, as Lewis brings up, such as alteration in the behavior during the tests, Difficult to study large groups of users, and as the user is not aware of the aspects of their mental processes, sometimes, a part of the proportion of comments given could be inaccurate. In the end,
“we can not fit this Method in “benchmark” kind of assessment, in which a pass-fail rating must be assigned to a design on the basis of a quantitative critetion. Instead, it is useful in a “find and fix” investigation, where specific information about design features and how they work or fail to work is needed.” (LEWIS, 1982)
Its nice to have in mind that is possible to face the method application with a “Find and fix” kind of investigation, these way we can base up and design though methods of high performance.
In the next text, we will keep analysing what both Lewis(1982 ) and Phillips(2020) shared about their experiences and point of view.
References:
PHILLIPS, Blayne. The three levels of accessibility. UX Collective, [S. l.], p. 1–3, 6 dez. 2020. Disponível em: https://uxdesign.cc/the-three-levels-of-accessibility-cd1f8a70a883. Acesso em: 5 mar. 2021
PHILLIPS, Blayne. Tips on designing inclusively for cognitive disabilities: Their problems, behaviours, needs & tools, plus design guidelines for building accessible products. UX Collective, [S. l.], p. 1–3, 6 dez. 2020. Disponível em: https://uxdesign.cc/tips-on-designing-inclusively-for-cognitive-disabilities-a7c19852208. Acesso em: 5 mar. 2021.
LEWIS, Clayton. Using the “Thinking-aloud” Method in Cognitive Interface Design. IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, [S. l.], p. 1, 31 mar. 1982.
