Method
For my usability study, I evaluated Google Product Search, a website with the universe of on-line consumers and shoppers as its target audience. Subjects in the study included two females and one male. One of the females is blind and was using screen reader software. The subjects were assigned the following three tasks:
- Find the most popular mobile phones from $60 to $100.
- Select a phone from the list, and compare the price for this phone across all stores that carry it. Sort the list of stores by price, from lowest to highest.
- Find nearby stores, and display them on a map.
Results
Both of the sighted subjects were able to complete all three tasks. The female subject completed them all more quickly than the male student, but she also was the only subject who had prior experience using the site.
The blind subject was unable to complete the tasks. She quickly found the search field and was able to enter "mobile phones" into the field, but the results page included 23 headers and 276 links, and she was not able to find the list of most popular phones amongst all the clutter. In fact, the phrase "Most Popular", which appears visually to be a prominent heading on the page, wasn't coded as a heading at all. Since the second and third tasks were dependent on her ability to complete the first task, she was never able to attempt these other tasks.
Discussion
This website appears to have good usability for people with eyesight. The interface is clean and simple, and users can easily locate the links and controls they need to complete the tasks. However, the experience for blind users is very different. The site uses headings and links excessively, and consequently gives the appearance of an extremely cluttered, poorly organized site. Though technically accessible, this site has very poor usability for blind users.