Live Web Usability Lab CASL, November 10, 2008 Stephanie Willen Brown University of Connecticut Steve Cauffman iCONN Carol Abatelli Eastern Connecticut State University

Stephanie Willen Brown University of Connecticut

Steve Cauffman iCONN

Carol Abatelli Eastern Connecticut State University

Act Like a User: Find a Book in Spanish Two questions What’s the first thing you see? Where can you find books in Spanish (for your age patron)? Site 1 Site 2

Two questions

What’s the first thing you see?

Where can you find books in Spanish (for your age patron)?

Site 1

Site 2

What *is* Usability? Usability … assesses how easy user interfaces are to use . The word “usability” also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process. Jakob Nielsen, Usability 101

Usability … assesses how easy user interfaces are to use . The word “usability” also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process.

Jakob Nielsen, Usability 101

Components of Usability Goals Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error recovery Satisfaction Achieved by … Thinking like a user Consistency Tweaking text

Goals

Learnability

Efficiency

Memorability

Error recovery

Satisfaction

Achieved by …

Thinking like a user

Consistency

Tweaking text

Thinking Like a User “… let’s acknowledge the vital importance of empathy for the user . Only by understanding and caring about the perspective of the individual can we design useful, usable solutions.” - Peter Morville, Ambient Findability

“… let’s acknowledge the vital importance of empathy for the user . Only by understanding and caring about the perspective of the individual can we design useful, usable solutions.”

- Peter Morville, Ambient Findability

Consistency Color, graphics Orientation & navigation Language

Color, graphics

Orientation & navigation

Language

Reading Online is Like ?? Reading Proust People like to read long sentences online because it’s easy to keep your place, follow complex trains of thought, and flip to the next screen of dense text. or Skimming citations Skim titles & abstracts for keywords Take notes Move to the next citation

Reading Proust

People like to read long sentences online because it’s easy to keep your place, follow complex trains of thought, and flip to the next screen of dense text.

or

Skimming citations

Skim titles & abstracts for keywords

Take notes

Move to the next citation

Jargon for Librarians On travelocity, you need the cheapest round-trip ticket from Boston to London. These are your options – which is right? Flights & Prices Fares 3 Best Itineraries

On travelocity, you need the cheapest round-trip ticket from Boston to London.

These are your options – which is right?

Flights & Prices

Fares

3 Best Itineraries

How We Will Test Facilitator Note-taker 2 Note-taker 1 Participant @ computer

Volunteer Required Someone who hasn’t used …? Willing to use site to answer “typical” questions in front of your peers?! Carol will explain the usability testing process to the volunteer Steve will Describe the database Review the test questions

Someone who hasn’t used …?

Willing to use site to answer “typical” questions in front of your peers?!

Carol will explain the usability testing process to the volunteer

Steve will

Describe the database

Review the test questions

Usability Test Questions: Kids Info Bits Can you find an image of the flag of Brazil? What is a dinosaur? Find some information about the new food pyramid which explains what foods are healthiest to eat

Can you find an image of the flag of Brazil?

What is a dinosaur?

Find some information about the new food pyramid which explains what foods are healthiest to eat

Usability Test Questions: Student Research Center You really like airplanes and enjoy seeing photos of planes. Can you find images of the Wright Brothers and their first flight? For a class in career development, you need to find information about a job that you might want. You always wanted to be an astronaut ... can you find information about being an astronaut? For a science paper, you need to write about global warming from a variety of perspectives. Can you find information about global warming?

You really like airplanes and enjoy seeing photos of planes. Can you find images of the Wright Brothers and their first flight?

For a class in career development, you need to find information about a job that you might want. You always wanted to be an astronaut ... can you find information about being an astronaut?

For a science paper, you need to write about global warming from a variety of perspectives. Can you find information about global warming?

For More Information Recommended articles about usability http://gslis.simmons.edu/mw/browns/Usability SlideShare of this PowerPoint http://www.slideshare.net/CogSciLibrarian/live-web-usability-lab-casl-2008-presentation/ Student Research Center is available @ iCONN.org

Recommended articles about usability

http://gslis.simmons.edu/mw/browns/Usability

SlideShare of this PowerPoint

http://www.slideshare.net/CogSciLibrarian/live-web-usability-lab-casl-2008-presentation/

Student Research Center is available @ iCONN.org

Questions? Keep in Touch Stephanie Willen Brown, electronic resources librarian, University of Connecticut [email_address] Steve Cauffman, reQuest ILL coordinator, iCONN … [email_address] .org Carol Abatelli, head of collections & electronic resource management, Eastern Connecticut State University [email_address]

Stephanie Willen Brown, electronic resources librarian, University of Connecticut [email_address]

Steve Cauffman, reQuest ILL coordinator, iCONN … [email_address] .org

Carol Abatelli, head of collections & electronic resource management, Eastern Connecticut State University [email_address]