USERindex

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The USERindex is a standardised means of measuring the user experience of a digital interface. While usability refers to how successfully a user can carry out a task with a given product, User Experience takes a broader view, taking the user’s individual perception of his entire interaction with the product and even the brand into consideration. The success of a digital interface is determined not only by the functions it offers but also, and maybe even more importantly, by how the user feels about interacting with it. The USERindex comprises 10 questions which have been worded neutrally, avoiding jargon and which can be applied to any digital interface, be it a web application or a wearable device. This makes the index very powerful because it can be used to compare the user experience of different products even if they are very dissimilar in function and interface type.

Measuring USERindex

Ask your users to rate the 10 USERindex statements on a 5 item Likert scale (from strongly disagree/somewhat disagree/neutral/somewhat agree/strongly agree) and then use this USERindex Calculator spreadsheet to calculate the overall USERindex as well the individual score of each dimension.

When to use the USERindex

• The USERindex can be used during formative usability tests to determine, mould and monitor the user experience during the development phase.

• After go-live, it can be used in summative usability tests to validate the expected user experience; to determine a benchmark value and monitor its improvement during the subsequent product lifecycle.

• It can also be used to compare the user experience of different digital interfaces in a competitive analysis.

How to interpret the score

The value of USERindex ranges from 1 to 5. A digital product with an exceptional user experience will have a USERindex of 4.7 or above; anything between 4.2 and 4.7 is good and a USERindex of below 4.2 means you have uncovered areas for improvement.
If the USERindex is used in a test environment, questions about performance will not reflect realistic use by end users. To minimize the impact of non-production-like circumstances, the score calculation in the USERindex Calculator can be configured accordingly.

Industry results
USERindex scores per industry 2021
Finance & Financial Services (recorded the highest and lowest scores of all industries)
High: 4.92
Average: 4.20
Low: 2.35

USERindex Benefits

• Provides a single metric to monitor

• Provides individual metrics for Reliability, Usefulness, Ease of use and Satisfaction

• An updated version of SUS which includes ‘Appeal’ and ‘Satisfaction’

• Measures more than just the usability of a digital interface; it takes the emotional aspect of user engagement into consideration

• Is a tool for measuring the holistic user experience of a digital interface

• Can be used to compare the user experience of different digital interfaces regardless of the devices or technology they run on

• Can be used to continuously monitor the evolution of the user experience of your digital interface over time.

USERindex Limitations

• Limited assessment of user behaviour

• Opinionated and subjective

• Ideally should be supported by other research method

• No why the user answered a question with the value

Example USERindex questionnaire

Based on your overall experience of using <Software product> do you agree with the following statements? (5 point scale answers)

1. I felt the software interface responded quickly
   (Dimension = Reliability & Aspect = Performance)

2. I found the information provided in the software to be accurate
   (Dimension = Reliability & Aspect = Accuracy)

3. The software does what I need it to do
   (Dimension = Usefulness & Aspect = Effectiveness)

4. The information provided in the software was useful to me
   (Dimension = Usefulness & Aspect = Usefulness)

5. I found the software easy to use
   (Dimension = Ease of use & Aspect = Ease of use)

6. It was easy to find what I was looking for
   (Dimension = Ease of use & Aspect = Navigation)

7. It didn't take me long to learn how to use the software
   (Dimension = Ease of use & Aspect = Learnability)

8. It didn't take me long to complete my task
   (Dimension = Ease of use & Aspect = Efficiency)

9. I found the design of the software interface appealing
   (Dimension = Satisfaction & Aspect = Appeal)

10. I liked using the software
    (Dimension = Satisfaction & Aspect = Engagement)

Sources

• https://userindex.org