Usability and Digital Analytics
People
Course director
Assistant
Description
The course deals with the relationship between hypermedia products (e.g.: websites, mobile apps) and their users, analyzing effectiveness/efficiency/user satisfaction: usability, as well as actual usages: digital analytics. Usability will be approached taking into account both expert inspections as well as user testing, dealing in particular with such tools as heuristics and user scenarios. Also, eye-tracking techniques will be presented and discussed. Digital analytics will consider several online communication outlets and inputs ranging from websites, mobile apps, social media, videos, newsletters, voice recognition to others biometrics. The course will also present a holistic model, encompassing both usability and analytics, called UsERA, and based on Austin’s model of communication.
Objectives
As future managers, you will be required:
- to fruitfully interact with ICT experts;
- to design and evaluate ICT projects;
- to manage available ICT assets (people, technologies, other resources) in the most effective and efficient way.
This course covers:
- usability
- usages analysis / digital analytics
Sustainable development goals
- Quality education
- Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Teaching mode
In presence
Learning methods
Lectures.
Attendance is not compulsory but strongly encouraged.
Examination information
The assessment will be undertaken in a form of individual project (30%) and a written exam (70%).
Required Reading Materials
- Tardini S., Adukaite A., Cantoni L. (2013). How to do Things with Websites. Reconsidering Austin’s Perlocutionary Act in Online Communication. Semiotica: Journal of the International Association for Semiotic Studies.
- Marchiori E., Sabatini N., Manna F., Cantoni L. (2026). AI-Assisted Expert Usability Evaluation for Fashion Websites: Opportunities and Limitations. In: HCI INTERNATIONAL 2026 (forthcoming)
Inversini, A., Cantoni, L., Bolchini, D. (2010). Presenting UsERA: User Experience Risk Assessment Model, in U. Gretzel, R. Law & M. Fuchs (eds.), Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism. Springer, Wien – New York 2010, pp. 99-110
Additional Readings:
Marchiori E., Cantoni L. (2020) The Relevance of Eye-Tracking to Understand Users’ Practices and Content Interpretation in Tourism-Related Online Navigation. In: Rainoldi M., Jooss M. (eds) Eye Tracking in Tourism. Tourism on the Verge. Springer
Education
- Master of Arts in Economics and Communication in International Tourism (COM), Lecture, eTourism, Elective, 1st year
- Master of Science in Digital Fashion Communication, Lecture, 1st year
