Using a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to determine product usability: A test case.
Ronggang Zhou, Alan H S Chan
PMID 28035942WHAT IT FOUND
A fuzzy method for scoring software usability produced a single overall score of 86.07 and smaller uncertainty ranges than percentage methods in a 16-user test of network management software.
Key findings
01A lab usability test with 16 users of network management software produced an overall fuzzy usability score of 86.07, between good and excellent.
02In simulated comparisons, the fuzzy method gave the smallest 95% confidence interval widths across sample sizes 1 to 16, and the equal-weight percentage method gave the largest.
03The width difference between any two evaluation methods was significant for any sample size, t(198) >= 14.74, p < 0.001.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The test used one network management software product and 16 users, all male, all familiar with the software, so it does not show how the method performs for other products or other user groups. The reliability comparison used simulated cases drawn from the one observed test, not independent real usability tests. The fuzzy calculations are complex and may need automatic procedures to be practical. The paper reports no patient, therapy, or clinical outcomes, so it cannot guide clinical practice.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that fuzzy usability scoring improves patient care or therapy software outcomes. It tested network management software with 16 users and compared method uncertainty, not clinical results.