Open Authentication Technology Committee Usability Recommendations For TV Everywhere OATC TV Everywhere Usability Working Group 8/25/2015 Version 2.1
Contents Introduction... 3 Overview... 3 Usability Recommendations... 3 Legal Notice... 8 Open Authentication Technology Committee 2 August 25, 2015
Introduction The purpose of this document is to outline the OATC-endorsed Usability Recommendations for the TV Everywhere authentication experience. This document represents an initial set of recommendations based on Usability Testing that was conducted by the OATC in April 2014. This set of OATC TVE Usability Guidelines are aligned with CTAM s TVE Usability Recommendations and extend them in some areas. To reference the most current CTAM TVE Usability Recommendations, please refer to this link: http://www.ctamtve.com/uxrecommendations. Overview The objective of the OATC Usability Testing was to explore consumer reactions, both rational and emotional, to multiple aspects of the TV Everywhere authentication process, including but not limited to: TV Service Provider Picker, TV Service Provider sign in confirmation, Help/FAQs, tutorials, and iconography. Results of this research should be used by Programmers and Distributors to refine these elements, the authentication process, and more broadly, to inform the OATC s efforts at increasing adoption of TV Everywhere. Usability Recommendations 1.0 TV Service Provider Picker 1.1 Desktop / Tablet Present the top 9 TV Service Providers in a grid display using logos, as a default view, with the option to See All Providers in an alphabetical list view also with the use of logos. The logos should be presented in a way that the user understands they are clickable objects. The option to search for a provider should be on the default view and should filter results based on letters as they are typed. Include a link for Provider Not Found to display messaging to explain to the user the product is only available through participating TV Service Providers. The testing for desktop and tablets did not indicate a strong preference of displaying 9 logos or 12 logos by default, however 12 choices presents the user with a higher cognitive load therefore for simplicity sake, presenting 9 logos in the default view is a simplified user experience. As the underlying technology of presenting TV Service Providers based on a user s location or presenting a last used TV Service Provider is adopted, the recommendation will be to make the default view more dynamic to support a UI with fewer choices including the option to see all providers. Open Authentication Technology Committee 3 August 25, 2015
1.2 Phone Present the top 9 TV Service Providers in a list view display using logos, as a default view, with the option to See All Providers in an alphabetical list view also with the use of logos. The logos should be presented in a way that the user understands they are selectable objects. The option to search for a provider should be on the default view and should filter results based on letters as they are typed. Include a link for Provider Not Found to display messaging to explain to the user the product is only available through participating TV Service Providers. 1.3 Help / FAQ / Tutorials In terms of presenting the user with supporting information on how to sign in, the recommendation is to have a Help, FAQ, or a Tutorial option (with click to play not auto start) easily accessible during the first step of the authentication flow. Also, present the Help in an interactive and contextual manner. When a user makes a wrong selection or encounters an error the Help content should be displayed automatically. 1.4 Formatting Icons and logos of both Programmers and TV Service Providers should be featured in full color to create additional contrast that helps increase brand recognition for users. Background color should be brand neutral in order to clearly identify logos. Users stated that large selectable logos were preferred on the smaller devices as well as the larger screens to help limit fat finger mistakes of selecting the wrong option. In testing the Help, FAQ or Tutorial options, users did not feel they needed these presented upfront but wanted to have the option visible in case they had questions during the process. Users did not react well to video tutorials that auto-play, so if using a video tutorial, the user should have to select it to play. Users stated that consistency in presenting logos across sites and products helps aid in brand awareness and brand recognition for the user, allowing them to identify their TV Service Provider more easily. Open Authentication Technology Committee 4 August 25, 2015
2.0 TV Everywhere Labels and Iconography 3.0 Messaging 2.1 Identifying Content Requiring Entitlement 3.1 Authentication Success / Post Successful Sign-in Behavior The recommendation for icons to be used to indicate TV Everywhere content, i.e. content that requires entitlement, is in line with the CTAM recommendation of using a key icon. The use of colors as the primary indicator of a state change does not meet ADA standards, but can be used as a secondary indication that an asset requires entitlement. Again in line with CTAM, the recommendation is to use the colors of orange to red in the key icon to indicate locked content. The placement of the red key icon should be clearly visible and associated with the sign in option to access TV Everywhere. The recommendation is to minimize the clicks for a user who has successfully authenticated to begin watching video. A confirmation of a successful sign in such as displaying a written confirmation or displaying the user s TV Service Provider logo on a Programmer s TVE site/app should appear after the user has successfully authenticated however it should not require a click to continue. 3.2 Errors For all errors which can be presented to a user during the authentication flow, the recommendation is that error messages use plain, For users to understand what assets require verification, iconography is the recommended approach to quickly interpret accessible content. Through testing, users understood that both a key and a lock indicated that they would have to take action to access the content. This confirmation message should be displayed while the video is loading - both to reinforce to the user they have successfully authenticated and to mask buffering of the video upon start up. This confirmation screen should not require a click to continue, instead should disappear after a few seconds. Through usability testing, users were presented with two authorization error messages: one which was very generic, the other was more conversational Open Authentication Technology Committee 5 August 25, 2015
conversational language as opposed to system generated generic error messaging to describe the problem as specifically as possible to the user in terms they can understand, and also to provide an error recovery path. The best structure for the error messages, from UX point of view: and explained why the error occurred. The result was half of the participants misinterpreted the generic message but all of the participants understood the conversational message and what to do to resolve the error. 1. Explain the problem in terms that can be understood by users; 2. Apologize and express sympathy; 3. Provide workaround/solution. 3.3 Benefits of TV Everywhere 4.0 Social Login The recommendation is to clearly state, within the authentication user flow, that signing into TV Everywhere extends viewing options in and outside of the home and provides additional content options at no additional cost to the user s monthly service plans with their TV Service Providers. 4.1 Social Login Social Login for TVE has a lot of potential, especially if the benefits and scope are clearly messaged, however the recommendation at this point is to conduct further testing around messaging and positioning of this feature before a formal product implementation Through usability testing, it was confirmed that the participants did not understand the user benefits and value of authenticating to watch video. They were confused by the process and were questioning why they had to sign in. By reinforcing the value proposition to the user to sign in to watch content, it will help educate and inform the user about TV Everywhere and therefore increase adoption rates. Through usability testing, users did not express a desire to link their TV Everywhere login to a Social Media login because of privacy concerns, potential spam, or concerns about having posts show up on their social media site about their viewing behavior. Open Authentication Technology Committee 6 August 25, 2015
recommendation can be made. The user experience of Social Login and Social Media integration within TV Everywhere products should be addressed in a combined approach whereby the user is not confused as to why they may be presented with multiple social login options across their TV Service Provider login page and a Programmer s TVE site. Information gathering of adoption rates from TV Service Providers who have already implemented Social Login will help to inform the priority of pursuing Social Login solutions. Other options for creating a sign in alias such as a user-created username and password that links to a user s TV Service Provider account might have a broader appeal than logging in with a Social Media site. Open Authentication Technology Committee 7 August 25, 2015
Legal Notice Copyright Open Authentication Technology Committee 2015. All rights reserved. This recommended practice ( Recommended Practice ) may be copied in its entirety and displayed or distributed to others, provided that the above copyright notice and this legal notice section are preserved on all such copies. No license is granted to modify the Recommended Practice. This recommended practice is provided on an as-is basis, without any express or implied warranty of any kind, including without limitation any warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement of any party s intellectual property. OATC hereby disclaims any and all liability for personal injury or property or other damage, of any nature whatsoever, whether special, indirect, consequential or compensatory, directly or indirectly resulting from the publication or use of, or any reliance upon, this recommended practice. Implementation of this Recommended Practice is voluntary. Subject to the rights granted to OATC s members under the OATC IPR Policy, no rights or licenses under any patent claims are granted hereby. OATC takes no position regarding the validity or scope of any intellectual property or other rights that might be claimed to be infringed by the implementation of this Recommended Practice or the extent to which any license under such rights might or might not be available, and OATC does not represent that it has made any effort to identify any such rights or conduct any inquiries into the validity or scope of any such rights. Open Authentication Technology Committee 8 August 25, 2015