InsideNASA Usability Study

InsideNASA Usability - A Case Study Celeste J. Merryman Knowledge Management and Collaboration Technologies Office NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Computer Sciences Corporation Pasadena, CA, USA Celeste.Merryman@jpl.nasa.gov NASA Science Web Federation Workshop NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

The Numbers 1 Set of Evolving 1 Intranet Requirements 1 Redesign Team *62,000 + people *(FAIR Inventory Data 2006) Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Where to Start NASA Science Web Federation Workshop NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Approach   Step 1: Bring something to the NASA sponsor to critique   Step 2: Ask the people what they think   Step 3: Incorporate what we discovered into a working Intranet Web site   Step 4: Open access to the beta version for comments   Step 5: Go live Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

The Wireframe   Known weaknesses   The overall basic organizational structure of the Web site   The visual aspects of usability frequently dubbed ‘look and feel’   Search   Basic research   The ‘pictorial superiority effect’ says that people remember pictorial representations of objects better than the textual representation of objects.   The ‘category superiority effect’ says that people can remember words significantly better if the words are organized into categories.   Textbook usability and web design   “Navigation isn’t just a feature of a Web site; it is the Web site.”   “Clear; well-thought-out navigation is one of the best opportunities a site has to create a good impression.” (Krug, 2006).   Internet Web sites   Looked at the way different Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007 site visitors - Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web sites presented information to news sites, sites that would emulate a business Intranet

Take it to the People NASA Science Web Federation Workshop NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

What We Wanted to Know   Their reactions to our detailed wire-frame   What was important, or valuable regarding content, collaboration features, search •  Survey requests to 830+ InsideNASA account holders / 104 responded •  From across 12 Centers, 5 other contracting locations •  Roles they had in NASA •  engineers, program/project managers, computer scientist, scientists, IT, human resources, supervisors/line managers, other Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Usability Survey By Survey Monkey Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Usability Survey Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Participation Breakdown by NASA Roles • 103 people Participation Breakdown by NASA Roles answered this question; one 40 36 person skipped 35 Computer Scientist question. Engineer 28 • People could select 30 Human Resource/Human more than one Number of People Capital option. 25 21 IT/Infrastructure Support 20 • Most common role 20 Program/Project Management was “engineer” (n=36) 15 Scientist 11 followed by Supervisor/Line Manager program/project 10 7 6 Other management (21) 5 3 1 Skipped Question 0 NASA Roles Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Participation Breakdown by NASA Centers •  103 people answered Participation Breakdown by NASA Centers this question; one person skipped 20 19 question. Headquarters 18 •  JSC had the highest 16 Ames Research Center participation (n=19). 16 Dryden Flight Research Center •  People indicating Glenn Research Center 14 Number of People “Other:” 12 Goddard Space Flight •  NASA Johnson Space 12 Jet Propulsion Laboratory Center White Sands Test Facility 10 9 9 9 Johnson Space Center •  IV&V Facility 8 Kennedy Space Center •  JPL Contractor ITT for 8 6 Langley Research Center DSN 5 5 6 Marshall Space Flight Center •  STSCI supported by GSFC Stennis Space Center 4 3 •  NSLD 2 Wallops Flight Facility 2 1 Other 0 0 Skipped NASA Centers Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Survey Reponses •  98 people answered this question; two How frequently do you visit InsideNASA? people skipped question. •  Most frequent 30 26 answer was “less 24 than once a 25 Number of Times month” (n=26); Several times a day followed by “once a 20 Once a day week” (n=23). Once a week 13 14 •  14 people said they 15 12 Several times a week have “never been.” Less than once a month 10 8 Once or twice a year Never been 5 2 2 Skipped 0 Number of People Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Survey Responses •  93 people answered What are your reactions? this question; seven people 50 47 skipped question. 45 •  In general people 40 seemed to have 40 37 35 Number of People favorable reactions: 35 30 •  Overall 30 27 •  Navigation 25 26 25 Like It •  Organization of 20 19 Neutral content 17 •  Type of content Dislike It 15 11 •  On “the way it 10 9 8 8 looks” responses 5 were almost even 5 for “like it” and 0 “neutral.” Overall Way it Looks Navigation Organization Type of Reaction of Content Content Compontents of Redesign Plan Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Survey Responses Features Related to Social Networking 45 43 40 35 35 35 33 31 Number of People 30 Very Important 25 25 Moderately Important 21 Not Important 20 17 17 Undecided 15 10 8 6 5 2 0 To Engage in Online Subscriptions to Use of NASA Secured Social Networking Communities of Instant Messaging with Collegues Practices/Interests Features Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Survey Responses Features Related to Content 60 52 50 Number of People 40 38 37 Very Important 36 36 31 32 Moderately Important 30 29 29 Not Important 23 23 Undecided 19 20 20 16 12 10 10 5 5 0 0 0 Up-to-Date Org Access to Agency Able to View Access to Access to Up-to- Charts of HQ and Management Content via RSS Timekeeping or Date News from Centers Council Feeds Travel Systems Leaders at HQ Information Features Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Survey Responses Features Related to Search & Site Personalization 60 55 53 50 48 Number of People 40 32 32 30 27 26 25 24 20 15 10 8 8 3 2 2 1 0 Ability to Search Across Find Information Ability to Ability to Create Muliple NASA Data Pertaining to Doing My Personalize/Customize Personalized quot;My Repositories Job Website (e.g. font, color) InsideNASAquot; Page Features Very Important Moderately Important Not Important Undecided Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Summary   Liked / Valued   Did not want / Was not   Liked the overall wire-frame important and direction   Social networking features -   News from NASA moderately to not important Headquarters - very important   Accessing information via   Up-to-date organizational RSS feeds - moderately charts - very important important   Ability to search across   Access to timekeeping - not multiple NASA data important at all repositories - very important   Personalization of   Find information pertaining to InsideNASA - not important doing their job - very at all important Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Outcome •  Fewer portlets on front page •  Very busy front page •  Improved look and navigation •  Navigation on top meant increased •  Administrator Q & A scrolling as pages were added •  Deputy Blog/ Journaling •  Search located on pages not in header •  Improved search Before After Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

We Were Successful   Worked closely with the NASA sponsor and understood the expectation up front   Great communication within distributed team - weekly telecons, e-mail exchanges   Kept our focus on the end consumer - the site visitors   Able to meet the needs of the NASA Headquarter customer   Able to deliver a quality product within our technological scope   Kept our eye on the prize and avoided scope creep Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

Some InsideNASA Metrics   07/2005 - 09/2005   One-time visitors: 13,132   Repeat visitors: 6,494   Unique Visitors: 19,626   Total Hits: 539,735   Total page views: 1,895,142   07/2007 - 09/2007   One-time visitors: 10,658   Repeat visitors: 5,961   Unique Visitors: 16,619   Total Hits: 4,180,626   Total page views: 1,402,945 Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

A big thank you for listening. Questions ? Contact: Celeste.Merryman@jpl.nasa.gov Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

References   Krug, Steve. Don’t make me think: A common sense approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition. Berkeley, California: New Riders Publishing, 2006.   Nelson D. L., Reed V. S., & Walling J. R. “Pictorial superiority effect,” Journal of Experimental Psychology, Human Learning, Vol. 2 , No. 5, pp. 523-8 (1976).   Sharps M. J. , Wilson-Leff, C. A., & Price, J. L. “Relational and item-specific information as determinants of category superiority effects,” Journal of General Psychology, Vol. 122, No. 3, pp. 271-85 (1995).   Toglia, M. P., Hinman, P. J., Dayton, B. S., & Catalano, J. F. “The blocked- random effect in pictures and words,” Perception and Motor Skills, Vol. 84, No. 3, Pt 1, pp. 976-8, (1997)   2006 NASA FAIR (Federal Activities Inventory Reform) Act Inventory (http:// competitivesourcing.nasa.gov/2006fairindex.html) Celeste Merryman, NASA JPL KM & Collaborations Office NASA Science Web Federation Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Nov 2007

InsideNASA Usability Study

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InsideNASA Usability Study — Presentation Transcript