Usability, User Experience, & Library Databases Stephanie Willen Brown Electronic Resources Librarian University of Connecticut [email_address] 860.486.4855

Act Like a User: Find Information about Diabetes Two questions What’s the first thing you see? Where can you get information on diabetes? Site 1 Site 2

Two questions

What’s the first thing you see?

Where can you get information on diabetes?

Site 1

Site 2

http://denverlibrary.org

http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/

Today Define UX, usability Why do they matter? Discuss elements of UX as they affect web sites Sample patron interaction UConn’s usability test Assessment Test Results

Define UX, usability

Why do they matter?

Discuss elements of UX as they affect web sites

Sample patron interaction

UConn’s usability test

Assessment

Test

Results

Why Should We Care About UX? “ Your web site is the embodiment of your library ... For customers to feel they have a good relationship with your library, they must first feel they have a good relationship with the web site — and that begins with the user experience.” Paraphrased from Garrett, J.J. “ Customer Loyalty and the Elements of User Experience”

“ Your web site is the embodiment of your library ... For customers to feel they have a good relationship with your library, they must first feel they have a good relationship with the web site — and that begins with the user experience.”

Paraphrased from Garrett, J.J.

“ Customer Loyalty and the Elements of User Experience”

The Elements of User Experience Peter Morville, Ambient Findability

Peter Morville,

Ambient Findability

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.

Components of Good Design Learnability Efficiency Memorability Error recovery Satisfaction

Learnability

Efficiency

Memorability

Error recovery

Satisfaction

How to Achieve Good Design Think like a user Consistent design Tweak text

Think like a user

Consistent design

Tweak text

Consistency Color, graphics Orientation & navigation Language

Color, graphics

Orientation & navigation

Language

Jargon to Library Users “ E RIC, I think it ’s some kind of journal … some kind of citation. ” Reference Shelf “[It’s] very general. You don’t know what to expect as it could be anything.”

“ E RIC, I think it ’s some kind of journal … some kind of citation. ”

Reference Shelf “[It’s] very general. You don’t know what to expect as it could be anything.”

Jargon for Travelers You need the cheapest round-trip ticket from Boston to London. You go to These are your options – which is right? Flights & Prices Fares 3 Best Itineraries

You need the cheapest round-trip ticket from Boston to London.

You go to

These are your options – which is right?

Flights & Prices

Fares

3 Best Itineraries

How Identify Site Problems? Objectively evaluate site Focus group of Current / typical users Non-users! Surveys of Current / typical users Non-users! Usability studies

Objectively evaluate site

Focus group of

Current / typical users

Non-users!

Surveys of

Current / typical users

Non-users!

Usability studies

Focus Groups vs. Usability Testing UConn usability testing, first round Patrons couldn’t navigate, find what they needed Objectively: disastrous BUT: In response to question “Rate this site, 1-5  s” Testers rated     to      In response to question “would you recommend this to a friend?” Testers said yes

UConn usability testing, first round

Patrons couldn’t navigate, find what they needed

Objectively: disastrous

BUT: In response to question “Rate this site, 1-5  s”

Testers rated     to     

In response to question “would you recommend this to a friend?”

Testers said yes

Usability Testing Define users Create tasks to mimic what users would realistically do on site Do usability testing early & often 3-5 users highlights 85% of errors Better to test several small groups than 10-15 at once Note errors, redesign and retest

Define users

Create tasks to mimic what users would realistically do on site

Do usability testing early & often

3-5 users highlights 85% of errors

Better to test several small groups than 10-15 at once

Note errors, redesign and retest

Suggested Usability Setup Facilitator Participant @ computer Note-taker 2 Note-taker 1

Scenarios: Volunteer Requested Someone who hasn’t used EBSCO’s Student Research Center Willing to answer “typical” questions in front of database committee While volunteer attempts to perform task, Audience: Note the first thing you see Note problems encountered by volunteer

Someone who hasn’t used EBSCO’s Student Research Center

Willing to answer “typical” questions in front of database committee

While volunteer attempts to perform task,

Audience:

Note the first thing you see

Note problems encountered by volunteer

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? You have to research Martin Luther King, Jr. for a Black History Month project. Can you find some information about him? 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 that career?

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

You have to research Martin Luther King, Jr. for a Black History Month project. Can you find some information about him?

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 that career?

Audience Reaction to Test Thoughts about database What did you notice first? What problems were encountered? Thoughts about test process What surprised you?

Thoughts about database

What did you notice first?

What problems were encountered?

Thoughts about test process

What surprised you?

UConn’s Database Locator

UConn’s Redesign Goals Database usage statistics outweighs f2f library-user contact in 2006: f2f contact with patrons: 55,629 Database sessions: 470,327 UConn Libraries Plan 2010 “Scholar’s Portal: “ Provide immediate, unmediated , and comprehensive access to digitized research and scholarly collections worldwide.”

Database usage statistics outweighs f2f library-user contact in 2006:

f2f contact with patrons: 55,629

Database sessions: 470,327

UConn Libraries Plan 2010 “Scholar’s Portal:

“ Provide immediate, unmediated , and comprehensive access to digitized research and scholarly collections worldwide.”

Usage Log Analysis March - May 2006, UConn patrons … Used the subject browse 18,000 times. Performed a keyword search 15,800 times; and Clicked on Databases by Title 6,600 times;

March - May 2006, UConn patrons …

Used the subject browse 18,000 times.

Performed a keyword search 15,800 times; and

Clicked on Databases by Title 6,600 times;

Query Log Analysis Databases america history and life lexus nexus infotrack Subjects education pharmacy medicine anthropologyu Topics hamlet insane adopted children of same sex couples “ why doesn’t the us have a eurpean-style welfate state?”

Databases

america history and life

lexus nexus

infotrack

Subjects

education

pharmacy medicine

anthropologyu

Topics

hamlet insane

adopted children of same sex couples

“ why doesn’t the us have a eurpean-style welfate state?”

Terms Used in DC PL OPAC DC PL data; http://www.walkingpaper.org/1123

Usability Testing: 3 Rounds Who? 3 undergraduates, 1 grad, 1 faculty in each Storrs & regional campuses What? First tested old system Major redesign Tested redesign Tweaked design Tested again

Who?

3 undergraduates, 1 grad, 1 faculty in each

Storrs & regional campuses

What?

First tested old system

Major redesign

Tested redesign

Tweaked design

Tested again

Usability Tasks Find articles about diabetes for your nursing class Your professor said “use a database named ERIC” Find a newspaper article from the day you were born … plus 6 more …

Find articles about diabetes for your nursing class

Your professor said “use a database named ERIC”

Find a newspaper article from the day you were born

… plus 6 more …

Diabetes Article, I diabetes

Diabetes Article, II

What We Did Removed search box Created topical arrangement that students would expect (UConn major) Limited to 5 databases per page (Best Bets) Sorted by relevance: 1 st database would be good enough in most cases Offered more databases if they clicked on “more” Best bets marked on the longer database page Shortened written descriptions

Removed search box

Created topical arrangement that students would expect (UConn major)

Limited to 5 databases per page (Best Bets)

Sorted by relevance: 1 st database would be good enough in most cases

Offered more databases if they clicked on “more”

Best bets marked on the longer database page

Shortened written descriptions

http://rdl.lib.uconn.edu/bySubject.php

Best Bets in Library Science

UConn’s Database Descriptions, I ABI/Inform Global ABI/Inform Global Full-text articles from 1800 journals covering business, finance, management and related functional areas. ABI/INFORM Global indexes a total of 2700 major publications. Subject coverage includes: business and management, including all functional areas.

ABI/Inform Global ABI/Inform Global Full-text articles from 1800 journals covering business, finance, management and related functional areas. ABI/INFORM Global indexes a total of 2700 major publications. Subject coverage includes: business and management, including all functional areas.

Database Description, Essential Info ABI/Inform Global ABI/Inform Global Full-text articles from 1800 journals covering business, finance, management and related functional areas. ABI/INFORM Global indexes a total of 2700 major publications. Subject coverage includes: Business and management, including all functional areas.

ABI/Inform Global

ABI/Inform Global

Full-text articles

from 1800 journals

covering business, finance, management

and related functional areas.

ABI/INFORM Global

indexes

a total of 2700 major publications.

Subject coverage includes:

Business and management, including all functional areas.

UConn’s Database Description, II ABI/INFORM Global Articles in business, finance, management, accounting, advertising, banking, insurance, marketing, public administration, real estate, and telecommunications. 1991-current (fulltext); 1971-current (index & abstracts).

ABI/INFORM Global

Articles in business, finance, management, accounting, advertising, banking, insurance, marketing, public administration, real estate, and telecommunications. 1991-current (fulltext); 1971-current (index & abstracts).

Final Round of Testing

Tech Notes RDL is public view of data elements from “home-grown” electronic resource management system (ERM) ERM written in PHP MySQL Some javascript  Ajax

RDL is public view of data elements from “home-grown” electronic resource management system (ERM)

ERM written in

PHP

MySQL

Some javascript  Ajax

UConn Redesign Team Stephanie Willen Brown , electronic resource librarian & liaison to Communication Sciences Susanna Cowan , undergraduate education & outreach librarian Kate Fuller , reference collection maintenance coordinator and / administrative assistant Jill Livingston , reference librarian/liaison to the school of allied health Tom Wood , applications developer Co-authors: “Making Unmediated Access to E-Resources a Reality: Creating a Usable ERM Interface,” Reference and User Services Quarterly, Spring 2009

Stephanie Willen Brown , electronic resource librarian & liaison to Communication Sciences

Susanna Cowan , undergraduate education & outreach librarian

Kate Fuller , reference collection maintenance coordinator and / administrative assistant

Jill Livingston , reference librarian/liaison to the school of allied health

Tom Wood , applications developer

Co-authors: “Making Unmediated Access to E-Resources a Reality: Creating a Usable ERM Interface,” Reference and User Services Quarterly, Spring 2009

For More Information Recommended articles about usability testing http://gslis.simmons.edu/mw/browns/Usability Keep in touch! Stephanie Willen Brown [email_address] IM: CogSciLibrarian

Recommended articles about usability testing

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

Keep in touch!

Stephanie Willen Brown

[email_address]

IM: CogSciLibrarian