Google Mail and Microsoft Outlook - Weebly



Usability StudyGoogle Mail and Microsoft OutlookUniversity of IdahoApril 17th, 2016Devin Burgess34671007024370-741045685228500Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc448867830 \h 1Methods PAGEREF _Toc448867831 \h 1Results PAGEREF _Toc448867832 \h 2Task 1: Sending an E-mail PAGEREF _Toc448867833 \h 2Task 2: Organizing E-mails PAGEREF _Toc448867834 \h 3Task 3: Creating Contacts PAGEREF _Toc448867835 \h 4Task 4: Organizing Contacts PAGEREF _Toc448867836 \h 5Task 5: Customizing Profile PAGEREF _Toc448867837 \h 6Task 6: Managing Spam PAGEREF _Toc448867838 \h 8Discussion PAGEREF _Toc448867839 \h 9IntroductionTask 1 Likert ScaleThe task could be completed without any errors.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail54321Microsoft Outlook54321The task could be completed in a reasonable amount of time.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail54321Microsoft Outlook54321The style and appearance enhances the user’s experience.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail54321Microsoft Outlook54321Electronic mail has revolutionized the way in which the world communicates. While paper mail is slowly diminishing, E-mail continues to thrive. As a result, the internet offers a wide variety of free E-mail services to the public. Choosing the most user-friendly platform, however, is not always easy. The following white paper describes and analyzes the usability test performed on two of the most popular E-mail services: Google Mail (or G-Mail) and Microsoft Outlook. The usability test focuses on the ability for novice computer users to easily use each website, but it also highlights features for more tech-savvy users. I am conducting the usability test as part of my course work for a technical writing course. Since I am only familiar with each E-mail’s basic features, I believe I am a viable candidate for performing the following usability test.MethodsThe usability study tested a wide range of tasks that a typical user would perform. I conducted the usability test on a Windows computer on the quiet floor of the library. I believed this was an ideal location to perform the usability study without distractions. The test took several days between April 14-17th of 2016. The study was performed on the following six tasks:Sending an E-mailOrganizing E-mailsCreating ContactsOrganizing ContactsCustomizing ProfileManaging SpamThe results were analyzed according to the following Likert scale.ResultsThe following section explains the results from the usability test.Task 1: Sending an E-mail33223205744845Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1.2 - Outlook Draft Box00Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1.2 - Outlook Draft Box-2095505770880Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1.1 - Google Mail Draft Box00Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1.1 - Google Mail Draft Box3200185293591600-206842295010200The first task was to test the usability of sending an E-mail. The biggest noticeable difference was the pop-up window, which initiated sending an email. Google Mail provided a small window in the corner that allows the user to see the current inbox while preparing a draft. Outlook provided a large, white, unappealing text box that prevents access to many other features. Google Mail also offered the option to interchange between a small window and full-screen while Outlook did not offer a different window size. When it came to actually drafting text into the email, Outlook offered a wider range of font sizes while Google Mail offered a greater variety of font colors and highlighters. In addition, both services could only attach up to 25 MB of files before requiring the use of a separate software.-1223666609773004128135677608527241506905625005356860680212000-6280158004175Figure 1.3 - G-Mail Font Size (above) & Colors (below)00Figure 1.3 - G-Mail Font Size (above) & Colors (below)-94927816692600right8858250Figure 1.4 - Outlook Font Size (left) & Colors (middle & right)00Figure 1.4 - Outlook Font Size (left) & Colors (middle & right)Task 1 Likert ScaleThe task could be completed without any errors.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail599440171450054321Microsoft Outlook603250184150054321The task could be completed in a reasonable amount of time.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail624840107950054321Microsoft Outlook624840139700054321The style and appearance enhances the user’s experience.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail56661156985004321Microsoft Outlook54363373082550021Task 2: Organizing E-mails40671757431405Figure 2.3 – Outlook Custom Folder/ Sub-Folder00Figure 2.3 – Outlook Custom Folder/ Sub-Folder4873625655320000308864054292500023336257656830Figure 2.2 – Outlook Default Folders00Figure 2.2 – Outlook Default Folders-600075541972500The second task was to test the usability of organizing E-mails in the inbox. Using folders is a great way to organize E-mails, especially for users with a large amount of incoming mail. Google Mail already provides the user with some default folders such as Starred, Important, Personal, and Travel. E-mails can be easily marked as starred or important with buttons provided next to the checkbox. On the other hand, Microsoft Outlook doesn’t provide any special folders besides the basic default folders. However, the simplicity actually enhances the user’s ability to quickly make a folder or sub-folder. E-mails from the inbox can then be moved to any folder by clicking and dragging. 7810506102350008001006724650Figure 2.1 – Google Mail folders (left) & Star/Important buttons (above)00Figure 2.1 – Google Mail folders (left) & Star/Important buttons (above)Overall, Google Mail provided many more features for the user to organize a messy inbox. Unfortunately, these features require some time to properly grasp and use them. Outlook was quicker to learn while still providing sufficient organization of the inbox. Many of G-Mail’s complex features were unnecessary and distracting. Task 2 Likert ScaleThe task could be completed without any errors.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail599440171450054321Microsoft Outlook603250184150054321The task could be completed in a reasonable amount of time.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail543643890203200021Microsoft Outlook624840139700054321The style and appearance enhances the user’s experience.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail54363373082550021Microsoft Outlook631825101600054321Task 3: Creating Contacts4667250372427500-838200461010000The third task was to test the usability of creating a new contact. Contacts are created to save the E-mail addresses, phone numbers, websites, etc. for different users. Then, the saved contacts can be easily accessed when sending E-mails. When adding a contact, both websites require the opening of a separate “contacts” window. Google Mail uses a small button in the bottom corner, which actually took me some time to locate. Outlook made it easier to find where to create a contact. Also, Outlook provided links to easily add contacts through different social media accounts. Google Mail, on the other hand, provided a more concise format for entering the potential contact’s information. Both services provided roughly the same information which can be saved for each contact. Lastly, Outlook is more compatible with the synchronization of contacts from different E-mail providers. Google Mail only provides easy contact access with other Google users. -8382007511415Figure 3.1 – G-Mail Contact Info (above) & New Contact (below)00Figure 3.1 – G-Mail Contact Info (above) & New Contact (below)right8001000Figure 3.2 – Outlook Contact Info (above) & New Contact (below)00Figure 3.2 – Outlook Contact Info (above) & New Contact (below)2066925818324500-438150693420000Task 3 Likert ScaleThe task could be completed without any errors.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail599440171450054321Microsoft Outlook603250184150054321The task could be completed in a reasonable amount of time.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail558483522225004321Microsoft Outlook624840139700054321The style and appearance enhances the user’s experience.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail562230018415004321Microsoft Outlook545842001079500321Task 4: Organizing Contacts1915795615188000-66675480060000The fourth task was to test the usability of organizing various contacts. Once a user compiles several contacts, it may become difficult to locate a certain contact or their information. Thus, each service provides different means for organizing a multitude of contacts. Google Mail allows the user to create groups as well as “circles” for organizing specific contact groups. The groups are easy to locate and create in the left column. Then, a couple clicks on the contact can add them to any group. Contacts are able to be “starred” by using the star button, which separates the contact from the rest for easy access. The circles, however, are somewhat useless for organizing contacts. Their main purpose is social media related, but only add excessive features. Lastly, the “frequently contacted” tab is very useful for locating recent contacts who may not have been placed in a group yet. This is a feature that Outlook does not provide.19831057388860Figure 4.1 – G-Mail Starred Contacts (Above) & Groups (Left)00Figure 4.1 – G-Mail Starred Contacts (Above) & Groups (Left)30981658295005002945765bottomFigure 4.2 Outlook Contact Options00Figure 4.2 Outlook Contact OptionsOutlook provided many of the same features, but I found it more difficult to accomplish similar tasks. Creating a group and adding members was actually easier than Google Mail because it suggested which users to add to a group. However, I was unable to actually locate the group to see which members it contained. The groups tab would only appear if a contact was selected. Even then, this tab could only add to the group and not select the group. Outlook provides the favorites tab, which accomplishes the same tasks of Google Mail’s starred feature. Overall, both services provided many of the same features including: adding contacts to multiple groups, cleaning up duplicate contacts, and recovering deleted contacts. However, Google Mail’s interface allowed me to locate and accomplish the tasks much quicker.5937251799590003504565166687500Task 4 Likert ScaleThe task could be completed without any errors.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail599440171450054321Microsoft Outlook543591820171450021The task could be completed in a reasonable amount of time.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail624205184150054321Microsoft Outlook545943602159000321The style and appearance enhances the user’s experience.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail648970273050054321Microsoft Outlook5435994401524000212825115-5939790Figure 4.4 Outlook Adding Contact to groups00Figure 4.4 Outlook Adding Contact to groups170180-5965825Figure 4.3 Outlook Creating a group00Figure 4.3 Outlook Creating a groupTask 5: Customizing Profile-6800856553200002967355747712500The fifth task was to test the usability of customizing one’s profile. After a user adds another user as a contact, his or her profile is viewed uniquely. Users are able to customize how their profiles appear to others as well as customizing personal settings. This is one area that Google Mail clearly excels over Microsoft Outlook. G-Mail has undoubtedly integrated a social aspect into their profile customization where Outlook has only the most basic profile features. 31229307962900Figure 5.2 – Outlook Profile Appearance00Figure 5.2 – Outlook Profile Appearance-419100-266065Figure 5.1 – G-Mail Profile Appearance00Figure 5.1 – G-Mail Profile Appearance-285750-5304155Figure 5.3 – G-Mail Profile Customization (above & below)00Figure 5.3 – G-Mail Profile Customization (above & below)-4762503162300002971800-4114800Figure 5.4 – Outlook Account Linking00Figure 5.4 – Outlook Account Linking3886200257175000219075244919500Google Mail allows the user to share much more information similar to a social media website. Outlook, on the other hand, only allows users to link separate online accounts such as Skype or Messenger. In fact, Outlook does not allow the user to input any personal information to share with contacts. Google Mail has clearly dedicated the resources to boost the social interaction of its site. However, since the primary focus of these sites are to communicate using E-mail, this does not detract from Outlook’s ability to compete as an E-mail service. Nonetheless, Google Mail definitely appeals more to users who are looking for increased social interaction through E-mail communication.Task 5 Likert ScaleThe task could be completed without any errors.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail599440171450054321Microsoft Outlook543570865165100021The task could be completed in a reasonable amount of time.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail565278029845004321Microsoft Outlook545943602159000321The style and appearance enhances the user’s experience.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail648970273050054321Microsoft Outlook543270231030480001Task 6: Managing Spam3114675238379000The sixth task was to test the usability on managing spam E-mails. Spam is an un-desired E-mail that often clutters up a user’s inbox. E-mail services provide filters to automatically send a spam E-mail to the spam folder. I was able to quickly locate the spam customizations for Outlook, but it took me significantly additional time to locate Google Mail’s spam settings. However, Outlook provided only a few different spam customizations. On the other hand, Google Mail allowed the user to create extremely specific spam filters. 2743200-4411980Figure 6.2 – G-Mail Filter Applications00Figure 6.2 – G-Mail Filter Applicationsleft-4398010Figure 6.1 – G-Mail Creating Filter00Figure 6.1 – G-Mail Creating FilterAfter creating a 28575254317500customized filter, Google Mail allows the filter to be applied to a variety of different tasks. Outlook only provides two options: default settings or stricter settings. Google Mail is undoubtedly the better service for managing spam.0584835007133590000-624205Figure 6.3 – Outlook Filters00Figure 6.3 – Outlook FiltersTask 6 Likert ScaleThe task could be completed without any errors.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail599440171450054321Microsoft Outlook546546851587500321The task could be completed in a reasonable amount of time.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail54615315355600061531520701000321Microsoft Outlook54321The style and appearance enhances the user’s experience.Strongly AgreeAgreeNeitherDisagreeStrongly DisagreeGoogle Mail648970273050054321Microsoft Outlook543631825171450021DiscussionTask 1Task 2Task 3Task 4Task 5Task 6Google Mail Scores555555524543424555Sum14913151413Microsoft Outlook Scores555223555333253212Sum12151376846005753324225Microsoft Outlook: 61/9000Microsoft Outlook: 61/9045999402314575Google Mail: 78/9000Google Mail: 78/90After conducting a usability study between Google Mail and Microsoft Outlook, the E-mail service that proved to be more user-friendly is Google Mail. G-Mail scored a total of 78 points out of a possible 90 points. Outlook scored a total of 61 points on an identical Likert scale. G-Mail scored the same as Outlook or better on every task besides managing E-mails. Overall, the two services provided similar features, but G-Mail offered a greater variety of features and customizations on every task performed. Although some users may prefer the simplicity of Outlook, I believe G-Mail is the greater E-mail provider. ................
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