Integrating Usability Testing into the Development of a 5 a Day Nutrition Website for At-risk Populations in the American Southwest

Abstract

The following article documents an iterative, user-oriented process to develop a nutrition education website for a rural multicultural population. Study participants were purposefully recruited from a six-county region in Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico representing the range of ethnic backgrounds, demographics and computer experience of the site's target audience. Three studies are presented. Study one, using a card-sorting process produced a basic shallow and broad structure for the website. Study two, using verbal protocol analysis of the prototype website identified six recurring problems and Study three, using verbal protocol analysis of the nearly completed website identified nine recurring problems. The website was redesigned to eliminate the problems and recommendations were provided for training users.