Visicog: NYU Usability

Usability II: Essentials Syllabus

Traditional usability testing provides rich information about why a website may or may not be working well, but with a relatively small sample set, usability testing can fall short when trying to optimize a site to meet business goals. With a central focus on optimization, we'll learn how to use analytics to optimize a site for business goals, and discover usability road blocks. Each class will have lecture and workshop segments.

Students Will Learn How To:

• Use and set up Google Analytics
• Analyze business goals to create KPIs that are trackable via analytics
• Identify potential usability problem areas via analytics that require further investigation
• Optimize a website for search engines
• Setup conversion goals and funnels
• Perform A/B and multivariate testing
• Create a landing page
• Optimize content for persuasion

Course Requirements

Has taken Website Usability I: Fundamentals or equivalent experience

Required Textbooks

None - some online articles will be assigned as homework.

Class Discussion Group

You will receive an invitation to join the class LinkedIn group following the first class.

Grading

To get a "C"

• Attendance & Punctuality: 25%
• Class Participation: 25%
• Homework: 50%

To get an "A":

• Do everything required for a "C", and go above and beyond
• Speak up, offer your opinion, and ask questions
• Do extra work
• Do excellent work
• Contribute to the class

Course Policies

Because of the collaborative lab nature of the class, each student's participation and attendance is essential. A single missed class will result in a 12.5% reduction in a student's final grade, and two missed classes will not result in a passing grade. Homework must be handed in on time. Students will be expected to be present for the entire duration of each class.

Homework

Please submit all assignments by sending to nyuusability @ visicog.com
When submitting a website that you have created, please included a URL with a description of the work that you did.

Lesson Details

Disclaimer: Lesson details and schedule is subject to change due to current events, guest speaker schedule changes and/or level and interests of students.

Lesson 1

• Class overview and expectations of students
• Mental models
• Landing Pages
• Class benefactor and project

Lesson 2

• Analytics Overview
• Copywriting
• A/B and multivariate testing
• Homework review

Lesson 4

• KPIs and funnel homework review
• SEO basics
• Content on the web
• Persuasion techniques
• Copy is interface
• Social strategy

Lesson 4

• Analytics in conjunction with usability testing
• Common pitfalls
• Surveys
• Final student presentations

Recommended Books

• Call to Action (Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg)
• Landing Page Optimization (Ash)
• Always Be Testing: The Complete Guide to Google Website Optimizer (Eisenberg, Quarto-vonTivador, Crosby, Davis))
• Seductive Interaction Design (Anderson)
• Google Analytics, 3rd Edition (Ledford, Teixeira, Tyler)