Criteria and methods for evaluating a digital product, including; 11 GEN
self
peer
target audience
Project management is a step by step approach to completing a short term goal.
Evaluation is an important step to make sure the product is worthwhile.
We evaluate as we are doing the project, as well as, at the end.
Who do we get to do the evaluation?
We could do it ourselves (self), get a friend to do it (peer) or we could get our target audience to do it.
This is where you evaluate your own work.
You look at your work and try to improve as you are creating it.
You look at you work when it is finished and try to find ways to improve it for next time.
Ask yourself these questions.
Does my product match what the task asks for?
Is there a marking key? Compare your work to the marking key?
How can I improve it?
Could I make it look better?
Will people be able to understand it?
What should I change?
Have I got time to change it?
Will I change it?
Do I always have the same improvements? ie weaknesses to improve upon
What do I actually need to learn to get better at doing this?
Who can help me?
What websites can help me?
What do I do well? What are my strengths?
This is where you ask a friend to evaluate your work.
They take time to look at it and give you feedback on what to improve.
Ask them questions like the following.
Does the work match what the assignment asks?
Does the product have visual appeal?
Does it say its message clearly?
Are the images helpful?
Is the text readable?
What other things could be improved in this digital product?
Ask for the feedback in writing.
Read the feedback and make changes to your product, if you think they are needed.
This is where you get the people who you have designed the digital product for, to evaluate it.
It may be your peers, little brother or sister, relatives.
Provide them with written questions to answer about how to improve your digital product.
Ask them questions like the following.
Does the work match what the assignment asks?
Does the product have visual appeal?
Does it say its message clearly?
Are the images helpful?
Is the text readable?
What other things could be improved in this digital product?
1. Do evaluation as you are creating your digital products. Ask yourself and your friends questions as seen in the points above.
Learn more from TBA
Evaluation of software, including usability 12 ATAR
Project Management includes a phase called evaluation.
It is highly advisable that you adopt evaluation for products that you make.
Evaluation means testing or reviewing the product to see how well it works.
This is called usability
Usability testing
this is done by a large software company to check if the software works.
test individuals work through set tasks in testing the software
large companies would record them as they test the software to gain useful data
this data is analysed to identify problems with the software
Beta Versions
a company will sometimes release a 'first' version of the software, usually free
users will use the software and provide feedback to the company
the company will then release a 'final' version of the software
Problems with software
after testing, problems are identified
they are fixed
in this process and due to mistakes, it is very rare that software always does everything as designed.
Software Updates
Companies send out updates to their software which is a 'fix-it' system for errors or improvements in the software.
After students create a website, it is a very good idea to get fellow students to evaluate it.
The reason for this is so that the website operates as expected.
Check the following
the site works as designed, including usability features such as choice of language, font increase/decrease if included.
menu system items link to the correct pages or urls
urls on all pages open to the correct pages
pictures display as they should
1. Once you create any digital product, apply the idea that it needs to be evaluated for it to be a better product. If it is a website, is it is usable.
Learn more from utexas.edu
Criteria required to evaluate a digital product or solution 11 ATAR , 12 GEN
Project Management is about producing worthwhile products in an organised way.
To get worthwhile products clever planning is essential.
Evaluation is also essential to ensure products are worthwhile.
Have a purpose for evaluating. What is the main focus of the evaluation?
Is it to get the best product now?
Is it to improve to make a better product next time?
Is it both of these?
Who is the evaluation for?
Does it need to be presented to a client for review and possible further changes to the product
Does the product do what it was designed to do?
If it is for a website or software developed such as web-authoring, then formally testing the functionality is essential. Make up test requirement sheets that provide a sequence of actions that review all components on the website. Give the evaluation sheets to as many test rabbits :) as you can, to give a better idea of how successful the product is. Using this method examines the effectiveness and efficiency of the product.
How usable is the product? Is it user friendly and predictable in its layout? What are its strengths? What are its weaknesses?
Did the product come in under budget?
What areas led to cost blowouts?
Were these cost blowouts under your control?
What could be done better next time to prevent cost blowouts?
Did the product completion meet the forecast timeline for the product?
If not, What caused the delay?
Was it something under your control?
What could be done better next time to prevent time blowouts?
Did the amount of work needed for this project change? Were items added to the project which caused it to take longer or cost more?
1. Ensure your digital products meet identified user requirements.
Learn more from TBA