New Tools for Metrics & Measures Debbie Herman & Edward Iglesias Central CT State University Assessing Usability on a Budget

Definition of Usability Usability means that the people who use the product can do so quickly and easily to accomplish their own tasks. This definition rests on four points: (1) Usability means focusing on users; (2) people use products to be productive; (3) users are busy people trying to accomplish tasks; and (4) users decide when a product is easy to use. - Janice (Ginny) Redish and Joseph Dumas, A Practical Guide to Usability Testing, 1999, p. 4

Usability means that the people who use the product can do so quickly and easily to accomplish their own tasks. This definition rests on four points: (1) Usability means focusing on users; (2) people use products to be productive; (3) users are busy people trying to accomplish tasks; and (4) users decide when a product is easy to use. - Janice (Ginny) Redish and Joseph Dumas, A Practical Guide to Usability Testing, 1999, p. 4

Not to be confused with UX = the sum of a series of interactions User experience (UX) represents the perception left in someone’s mind following a series of interactions between people, devices, and events or any combination thereof. “Series” is the operative word.

UX = the sum of a series of interactions

User experience (UX) represents the perception left in someone’s mind following a series of interactions between people, devices, and events or any combination thereof. “Series” is the operative word.

Technologies Available Eye Tracking Mouse Tracking Heat Maps

Eye Tracking

Mouse Tracking

Heat Maps

What to use When

Eye Tracking

One Cheap Solution

Alternatives

Heat Map

Click Tracking

Usability Testing Software Silverback (Mac) - $50.00 Webinaria (Windows) – free Morae (TechSmith/Windows) - $1,120.00 education Camstudio (Windows) – Open Source

Silverback (Mac) - $50.00

Webinaria (Windows) – free

Morae (TechSmith/Windows) - $1,120.00 education

Camstudio (Windows) – Open Source

Testing Metalib with Silverback

Session Capture

Demonstration

What we changed… Submitted enhancement request for back button issue Changed “Results” to “Results List” Enlarged text navigation typeface Changed “My Research” to “My Folder”

Submitted enhancement request for back button issue

Changed “Results” to “Results List”

Enlarged text navigation typeface

Changed “My Research” to “My Folder”

Google Analytics

GA Visitor Segmentation

GA Observations Observation: “Find articles” pages are heavily trafficked, while the “Find” index page gets very little. Recommendation: Remove Find page link from homepage.

Observation: “Find articles” pages are heavily trafficked, while the “Find” index page gets very little.

Recommendation: Remove Find page link from homepage.

GA Observations Observation: Subject guides and tutorials get little use. Recommendation: More “point of need” placement. Perhaps not worth the effort to maintain?

Observation: Subject guides and tutorials get little use.

Recommendation: More “point of need” placement. Perhaps not worth the effort to maintain?

GA Observations Observation: Second tier index pages aren’t used (Find, About, Help) Recommendation: Bring most popular destinations (catalog, databases, calendar, special collections) to the front.

Observation: Second tier index pages aren’t used (Find, About, Help)

Recommendation: Bring most popular destinations (catalog, databases, calendar, special collections) to the front.

Most of our users… Have high-speed internet connections Use Windows w/ IE (89% on-campus and 80% off-campus) Have a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 (roughly 45%).

Have high-speed internet connections

Use Windows w/ IE (89% on-campus and 80% off-campus)

Have a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 (roughly 45%).

Redesign Prototype

Presentation Links http://delicious.com/debbie.herman/cil2009