Swimming or Sinking? Laura Solomon Library Services Manager OPLIN [email_address]

Why should we care? Our face to the world People often see the site before they see the building Web sites can lose patrons

Our face to the world

People often see the site before they see the building

Web sites can lose patrons

Why did I do the study? Casual observations Questions from colleagues Overall confirmation of perceptions A little nuts, maybe.

Casual observations

Questions from colleagues

Overall confirmation of perceptions

A little nuts, maybe.

Methodology Jakob Neilsen’s 113 points Narrowed down to 61 points 211 library sites evaluated 211 * 61 =12,871 criteria = HEADACHE Pass, fail, N/A Used Neilsen’s scoring

Jakob Neilsen’s 113 points

Narrowed down to 61 points

211 library sites evaluated

211 * 61 =12,871 criteria = HEADACHE

Pass, fail, N/A

Used Neilsen’s scoring

The Results

Communicating Information About the Library: Are we communicating?

Communicating the Purpose of the Site: Does the site *have* a purpose?

Content Writing: Do we know how to write for the Web?

Credits and Dates: Small but important

Graphic Design: How do we look?

Graphics & Animation: Are we using these wisely?

Library Specific Issues: Problems often seen on library web sites

Library Specific Issues: Problems often seen on library web sites (con’t)

LOLcat break

Links : Are we leading the way?

Navigation: Are we making it easy?

Search: Who has it?

Is it intuitive?

Tools & Welcomes: Things visitors DON’T WANT

Titles: They matter

The bottom line

Overall pass rate

Not swimming….

What can we do?

The Two-Minute Offense

What have we learned?

How do users THINK?

Quality counts

Scanning, not reading

NOW

NOW

Video http:// www.etre.com/usability/eyetracking/showme /

http:// www.etre.com/usability/eyetracking/showme /

Users want control

Don’t make users THINK

Make use of effective writing

Don’t be afraid of the white space

Don’t ignore conventions