TopQ - a web-based queuing application : A case study in developing a queuing application for students and tutors with focus on navigability and design

Abstract: Students’ learning processes can be affected negatively by long waiting times to get assistance on lesson- and lab-sessions. Studies show that digital queuing systems decrease the waiting time. Thus, the purpose of this report is to investigate how to design a web-based queuing application to achieve a high perceived usability for students and tutors. Especially based on navigability and design which in accordance with research in the area has a direct impact on the usability. To achieve a high perceived usability the application was developed iteratively. In the first version the implemented functionality was built upon the result from the feasibility study combined with research in the area. After a set of user evaluations, changes from the first version were implemented to further improve the perceived usability. Lastly, another set of evaluations were performed to confirm the improvement in the final version. The results showed that the first version of the system was perceived as 84 out of 100 on the System Usability Scale (SUS) and the final version as 88 out of 100, an improvement by four units. Uniform design, no irrelevant functionality, placing buttons in conspicuous positions and having double checks to “dangerous actions” all seem to be factors contributing to the navigability, desirability and thus the usability on a queuing-application.