What we learnt<\/h4>\n\n- Visually enhanced test overviews were well received by our readers. Images, numbers and careful use of space are three effective ways to do this.<\/li>\n
- Readers responded well to a high level of salience shown through yellow panels, bold type and symbols to highlight information that warrants a certain level of urgency.<\/li>\n
- Emphasising headings through large type, use of numbers and a coloured band helped to separate the steps involved in doing the test.<\/li>\n
- Our readers were positive about the use of colour to monitor their actions: green was used to convey confirmation, and yellow to convey precaution.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
1. Salient elements: Headings and precautions<\/span><\/h4>\nWe wanted to understand whether precaution information enhanced with colour would distract from the\u00a0headings, which also must be salient to help people to find their way in instructions.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/design-research-for-testing-diagnostics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/178\/2021\/09\/Screen-Shot-2021-09-16-at-11.58.56-e1631873991811.png\")
<\/h4>\n
We designed 4 versions of part of the instruction, combining different visual treatments for\u00a0the headings (with and without colour background, in black and in colour) and\u00a0precaution information (plain or enhanced in yellow).<\/em><\/p>\nVersions with headings with background in colour (B and C) were preferred, in particular the version combined with enhanced precautions. Colour background for headings was effective to help divide the page into meaningful sections.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
2. Overview of the test<\/span><\/h4>\nWe wanted to understand whether different ways of drawing attention to a sequence of actions could be used to increase the usability of a test overview.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/design-research-for-testing-diagnostics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/178\/2021\/09\/Screen-Shot-2021-09-16-at-12.33.02.png\")
<\/p>\n
We presented one plain overview, and 2 enhanced versions, one with numbers and vertical space, and another with numbers, vertical space and diagrams.<\/em><\/p>\nAlmost all participants preferred the third version, and comments suggested that this version was the most inclusive to audiences with varying eyesight, reading skill or special needs.<\/p>\n
In this version, diagrams were used in an \u2018indicative\u2019 way (i.e. selected to represent the correspondent stage loosely), so we checked to see how this fitted with people\u2019s expectations. The issue of specificity of the diagram did not come up, suggesting that our intention was understood by participants. One participant commented: \u2018Visualisations allow me to \u201ckind of know\u201d what the point is before I even read it.\u2019<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
3. Checking the test<\/span><\/h4>\nSteps for checking the test kit parts were presented in 2 ways:<\/div>\n\n- a version using vertical space to separate the steps,<\/li>\n
- a version enhanced with colour to signal precaution (yellow) and reinforce things to look for (green).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/design-research-for-testing-diagnostics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/178\/2021\/09\/Screen-Shot-2021-09-16-at-12.38.30.png\")
<\/p>\n
Preference for the version enhanced with colour was unanimous. We found that the use of colour to signal and reinforce \u2018things to check\u2019 was valued by all participants.<\/p>\n
<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
4. Precaution information<\/span><\/h4>\nWe explored reactions to different ways of presenting precaution information.<\/p>\n
When asked about the function of the colour yellow, participants said it\u00a0signalled crucial information to be followed in one set way,\u00a0suggesting that the highlighting function was well understood. The words and phrases they used in open-ended questions are shown in this word cloud.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/design-research-for-testing-diagnostics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/178\/2021\/09\/Screen-Shot-2021-09-08-at-12.54.35.png\")
<\/p>\n
We also compared different approaches to indicate precautions:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1. Salient elements: Headings and precautions<\/span><\/h4>\nWe wanted to understand whether precaution information enhanced with colour would distract from the\u00a0headings, which also must be salient to help people to find their way in instructions.<\/p>\n
<\/h4>\n
We designed 4 versions of part of the instruction, combining different visual treatments for\u00a0the headings (with and without colour background, in black and in colour) and\u00a0precaution information (plain or enhanced in yellow).<\/em><\/p>\nVersions with headings with background in colour (B and C) were preferred, in particular the version combined with enhanced precautions. Colour background for headings was effective to help divide the page into meaningful sections.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
2. Overview of the test<\/span><\/h4>\nWe wanted to understand whether different ways of drawing attention to a sequence of actions could be used to increase the usability of a test overview.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We presented one plain overview, and 2 enhanced versions, one with numbers and vertical space, and another with numbers, vertical space and diagrams.<\/em><\/p>\nAlmost all participants preferred the third version, and comments suggested that this version was the most inclusive to audiences with varying eyesight, reading skill or special needs.<\/p>\n
In this version, diagrams were used in an \u2018indicative\u2019 way (i.e. selected to represent the correspondent stage loosely), so we checked to see how this fitted with people\u2019s expectations. The issue of specificity of the diagram did not come up, suggesting that our intention was understood by participants. One participant commented: \u2018Visualisations allow me to \u201ckind of know\u201d what the point is before I even read it.\u2019<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
3. Checking the test<\/span><\/h4>\nSteps for checking the test kit parts were presented in 2 ways:<\/div>\n\n- a version using vertical space to separate the steps,<\/li>\n
- a version enhanced with colour to signal precaution (yellow) and reinforce things to look for (green).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Preference for the version enhanced with colour was unanimous. We found that the use of colour to signal and reinforce \u2018things to check\u2019 was valued by all participants.<\/p>\n
<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
4. Precaution information<\/span><\/h4>\nWe explored reactions to different ways of presenting precaution information.<\/p>\n
When asked about the function of the colour yellow, participants said it\u00a0signalled crucial information to be followed in one set way,\u00a0suggesting that the highlighting function was well understood. The words and phrases they used in open-ended questions are shown in this word cloud.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We also compared different approaches to indicate precautions:<\/p>\n
<\/h4>\nVersions with headings with background in colour (B and C) were preferred, in particular the version combined with enhanced precautions. Colour background for headings was effective to help divide the page into meaningful sections.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
2. Overview of the test<\/span><\/h4>\nWe wanted to understand whether different ways of drawing attention to a sequence of actions could be used to increase the usability of a test overview.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We presented one plain overview, and 2 enhanced versions, one with numbers and vertical space, and another with numbers, vertical space and diagrams.<\/em><\/p>\nAlmost all participants preferred the third version, and comments suggested that this version was the most inclusive to audiences with varying eyesight, reading skill or special needs.<\/p>\n
In this version, diagrams were used in an \u2018indicative\u2019 way (i.e. selected to represent the correspondent stage loosely), so we checked to see how this fitted with people\u2019s expectations. The issue of specificity of the diagram did not come up, suggesting that our intention was understood by participants. One participant commented: \u2018Visualisations allow me to \u201ckind of know\u201d what the point is before I even read it.\u2019<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
3. Checking the test<\/span><\/h4>\nSteps for checking the test kit parts were presented in 2 ways:<\/div>\n\n- a version using vertical space to separate the steps,<\/li>\n
- a version enhanced with colour to signal precaution (yellow) and reinforce things to look for (green).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Preference for the version enhanced with colour was unanimous. We found that the use of colour to signal and reinforce \u2018things to check\u2019 was valued by all participants.<\/p>\n
<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
4. Precaution information<\/span><\/h4>\nWe explored reactions to different ways of presenting precaution information.<\/p>\n
When asked about the function of the colour yellow, participants said it\u00a0signalled crucial information to be followed in one set way,\u00a0suggesting that the highlighting function was well understood. The words and phrases they used in open-ended questions are shown in this word cloud.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We also compared different approaches to indicate precautions:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nAlmost all participants preferred the third version, and comments suggested that this version was the most inclusive to audiences with varying eyesight, reading skill or special needs.<\/p>\n
In this version, diagrams were used in an \u2018indicative\u2019 way (i.e. selected to represent the correspondent stage loosely), so we checked to see how this fitted with people\u2019s expectations. The issue of specificity of the diagram did not come up, suggesting that our intention was understood by participants. One participant commented: \u2018Visualisations allow me to \u201ckind of know\u201d what the point is before I even read it.\u2019<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
3. Checking the test<\/span><\/h4>\nSteps for checking the test kit parts were presented in 2 ways:<\/div>\n\n- a version using vertical space to separate the steps,<\/li>\n
- a version enhanced with colour to signal precaution (yellow) and reinforce things to look for (green).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Preference for the version enhanced with colour was unanimous. We found that the use of colour to signal and reinforce \u2018things to check\u2019 was valued by all participants.<\/p>\n
<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
4. Precaution information<\/span><\/h4>\nWe explored reactions to different ways of presenting precaution information.<\/p>\n
When asked about the function of the colour yellow, participants said it\u00a0signalled crucial information to be followed in one set way,\u00a0suggesting that the highlighting function was well understood. The words and phrases they used in open-ended questions are shown in this word cloud.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We also compared different approaches to indicate precautions:<\/p>\n
- \n
- a version using vertical space to separate the steps,<\/li>\n
- a version enhanced with colour to signal precaution (yellow) and reinforce things to look for (green).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/p>\n
Preference for the version enhanced with colour was unanimous. We found that the use of colour to signal and reinforce \u2018things to check\u2019 was valued by all participants.<\/p>\n
<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
4. Precaution information<\/span><\/h4>\n
We explored reactions to different ways of presenting precaution information.<\/p>\n
When asked about the function of the colour yellow, participants said it\u00a0signalled crucial information to be followed in one set way,\u00a0suggesting that the highlighting function was well understood. The words and phrases they used in open-ended questions are shown in this word cloud.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nWe also compared different approaches to indicate precautions:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/design-research-for-testing-diagnostics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/178\/2021\/09\/Screen-Shot-2021-09-16-at-14.47.09.png\")
<\/p>\n