Website Re-design on a Dime: Gathering User Input on a Budget Alison Peppers, Head of Public Services Ilka Datig, Instruction & Electronic Services Librarian Mary Baldwin College

Introduction to Project Opportunity to dovetail with college-wide website makeover Management of library website is semi-autonomous Promoted library’s participation in design Importance of student input Could not afford usability testing or many incentives for participation

Opportunity to dovetail with college-wide website makeover

Management of library website is semi-autonomous

Promoted library’s participation in design

Importance of student input

Could not afford usability testing or many incentives for participation

Background Information Mary Baldwin College Four-year women’s liberal arts college in Staunton, VA 826 Undergraduates 1255 Adult Degree Program 197 Graduate students in Literature, Education and Teaching Grafton Library 7 full-time staff

Mary Baldwin College

Four-year women’s liberal arts college in Staunton, VA

826 Undergraduates

1255 Adult Degree Program

197 Graduate students in Literature, Education and Teaching

Grafton Library

7 full-time staff

Goals Gather input for planned website re-design Learn how students use the website Learn what “library” vocabulary might be alien to them Use what we learned to create a model for a new interface that we could pass on to the graphic design team (while also seeing what we could change on our own) Do it all on a low budget

Gather input for planned website re-design

Learn how students use the website

Learn what “library” vocabulary might be alien to them

Use what we learned to create a model for a new interface that we could pass on to the graphic design team (while also seeing what we could change on our own)

Do it all on a low budget

Methods Mission: get in-depth information but also reach a wide number of students Focus groups (4 groups – 12 participants total) Think-aloud protocol Group discussion Website markup activity Online survey (101 respondents)

Mission: get in-depth information but also reach a wide number of students

Focus groups (4 groups – 12 participants total)

Think-aloud protocol

Group discussion

Website markup activity

Online survey (101 respondents)

Finding participants All free of cost Campus announcements Library homepage Signs in the library Announcement in course management software MBC TV “commercial” Library blog

All free of cost

Campus announcements

Library homepage

Signs in the library

Announcement in course management software

MBC TV “commercial”

Library blog

Focus Groups: Format Met in the library classroom/adjacent room Distributed snacks, consent forms, and demographic information forms Conducted think-alouds with individual students in the classroom Brought all students together in the classroom to conduct discussion & website markup

Met in the library classroom/adjacent room

Distributed snacks, consent forms, and demographic information forms

Conducted think-alouds with individual students in the classroom

Brought all students together in the classroom to conduct discussion & website markup

Previous Homepage

Focus Groups-Think Aloud Purpose: to watch students complete common tasks while they explained their thought process Noted where they went, how long it took and any other observations Audio-recorded

Purpose: to watch students complete common tasks while they explained their thought process

Noted where they went, how long it took and any other observations

Audio-recorded

Focus Groups: Discussion PowerPoint presentation with questions and an image of the current homepage Participants answered questions and discussed Audio-recorded Answers on whiteboard Notes

PowerPoint presentation with questions and an image of the current homepage

Participants answered questions and discussed

Audio-recorded

Answers on whiteboard

Notes

What could be improved on this website?

Renaming The following slides describe resources and services offered by Grafton Library. If you could rename them as they appear on the website, what would you call them? A service that allows you to request books and articles that are not available at Grafton Library.

The following slides describe resources and services offered by Grafton Library.

If you could rename them as they appear on the website, what would you call them?

A service that allows you to request books and articles that are not available at Grafton Library.

Focus Groups: Website Markup Printed out the current homepage Asked students to mark: Likes Dislikes/not necessary Confusing terms Missing Other comments

Printed out the current homepage

Asked students to mark:

Likes

Dislikes/not necessary

Confusing terms

Missing

Other comments

KEY O= keep X= toss ?= don’t understand

KEY O= keep X= toss ?= don’t understand

Focus Group Highlights Very concerned with appearance of website: colors, photographs, styles Confused by “where some links go” Want more information on the home page: ex. hours Redundant links are confusing “ Too much clutter”

Very concerned with appearance of website: colors, photographs, styles

Confused by “where some links go”

Want more information on the home page: ex. hours

Redundant links are confusing

“ Too much clutter”

Online Survey Separate surveys for Residential College for Women (Undergraduate Students): 54 responses Adult Degree Program: 38 responses Graduate Students: 9 responses Ultimate Survey Free access through college subscription Provides a URL, graphs

Separate surveys for

Residential College for Women (Undergraduate Students): 54 responses

Adult Degree Program: 38 responses

Graduate Students: 9 responses

Ultimate Survey

Free access through college subscription

Provides a URL, graphs

Online Survey Gathered similar information as focus groups, in addition to: How often they use the website Any problems with using the website Reasons for not using the website Concerns very similar to focus groups participants: confusing link names, appearance, and redundancy

Gathered similar information as focus groups, in addition to:

How often they use the website

Any problems with using the website

Reasons for not using the website

Concerns very similar to focus groups participants: confusing link names, appearance, and redundancy

Different User Populations Differences in RCW vs ADP responses ADP use website less often More RCW students feel ‘successful’ when using the library website Website vs. library resources = confusion for all groups Generally, confused by the same terms

Differences in RCW vs ADP responses

ADP use website less often

More RCW students feel ‘successful’ when using the library website

Website vs. library resources = confusion for all groups

Generally, confused by the same terms

Comments “ If unable to make Grafton's site resemble MBC's homepage, at least change the color scheme. BROWN=BORING!!! Adding some color to the site, and just a punch of fun, may increase the usage of the site, or make it less "serious" looking and more user friendly. It basically reminded me of wood panelling in a basement or something, and everyone knows that wood panelling is very 80s.” (RCW)

“ If unable to make Grafton's site resemble MBC's homepage, at least change the color scheme. BROWN=BORING!!! Adding some color to the site, and just a punch of fun, may increase the usage of the site, or make it less "serious" looking and more user friendly. It basically reminded me of wood panelling in a basement or something, and everyone knows that wood panelling is very 80s.” (RCW)

Comments The pictures look a little outdated don't they? Would like to see updated pictures with vibrant backgrounds and borders. Announcements for upcoming events would be useful as well :) (RCW) The color scheme, it's a little old fashioned and dated. I really like MBC's new homepage theme and layout; it would be cool to have the library's site a little more like the college's homepage. (RCW)

The pictures look a little outdated don't they? Would like to see updated pictures with vibrant backgrounds and borders. Announcements for upcoming events would be useful as well :) (RCW)

The color scheme, it's a little old fashioned and dated. I really like MBC's new homepage theme and layout; it would be cool to have the library's site a little more like the college's homepage. (RCW)

Comments I’m amazed at what is available to us throughout the on-line library. I am honestly feeling a little guilty for not taking advantage of both the online and physical site! (ADP) Thank you for considering students when setting up or changing your format. :) (ADP)

I’m amazed at what is available to us throughout the on-line library. I am honestly feeling a little guilty for not taking advantage of both the online and physical site! (ADP)

Thank you for considering students when setting up or changing your format. :) (ADP)

Applying what we learned Data: Reports from surveys (plus free text answers) Notes and transcripts from focus groups Website markups Looked for themes and common problems Created a rough ‘map’ and list of suggestions for the college graphic design team

Data:

Reports from surveys (plus free text answers)

Notes and transcripts from focus groups

Website markups

Looked for themes and common problems

Created a rough ‘map’ and list of suggestions for the college graphic design team

Pitfalls Student workers as participants Lack of interest—need to be flexible with dates/times Different methods=more participants Be clear on what they are evaluating (website layout and language vs. resources) If working with a design team, be very specific about what you want

Student workers as participants

Lack of interest—need to be flexible with dates/times

Different methods=more participants

Be clear on what they are evaluating (website layout and language vs. resources)

If working with a design team, be very specific about what you want

Tips for Success Keep survey short and limit required free text answers Offer focus groups around dinner time and reward with pizza Advertise where your students are: -Announcement in course management software/student portals -Online newsletters or email communications -Campus announcements

Keep survey short and limit required free text answers

Offer focus groups around dinner time and reward with pizza

Advertise where your students are:

-Announcement in course management software/student portals

-Online newsletters or email communications

-Campus announcements

Money-saving Methods Free advertising through multiple channels Lack of incentives means more legwork and promotion Library facilities & recording equipment Free survey software (Survey Monkey) Free online MP3 conversion tool (Switch) Free dictation software (Express Scribe) Purchase non-perishable snacks vs ordering pizza

Free advertising through multiple channels

Lack of incentives means more legwork and promotion

Library facilities & recording equipment

Free survey software (Survey Monkey)

Free online MP3 conversion tool (Switch)

Free dictation software (Express Scribe)

Purchase non-perishable snacks vs ordering pizza

Next steps… Perform usability testing on new website to test student response & usability Include questions about new website on a future library satisfaction survey Continue to investigate low/no-cost software and tools

Perform usability testing on new website to test student response & usability

Include questions about new website on a future library satisfaction survey

Continue to investigate low/no-cost software and tools

Questions? References Cockrell, Barbara J., and Elaine Anderson Jayne. “How Do I Find an Article? Insights from a Web Usability Study.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 28.3 (2002): 122-132. Print. Crowley, Gwyneth H., et al. “User Perceptions of the Library’s Web Pages: A Focus Group Study at Texas A&M University.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 28.4 (2002): 205-210. Print. Foster, Nancy Fried, Nora Dimmock, and Alison Bersani. “Participatory Design of Websites with Web Design Workshops.” The Code4Lib Journal 2 (2008): n. pag. Web. 17 Sept. 2008. <http://journal.code4lib.org/‌articles/‌53>. UCSD Libraries. “UCSD Libraries Portal Terminology Test 1.” Usability Testing for UCSD Libraries . University of California San Diego, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2008. <http://gort.ucsd.edu/‌escowles/‌about- sage-archive/‌.../‌terminologytest.doc>.

References

Cockrell, Barbara J., and Elaine Anderson Jayne. “How Do I Find an Article? Insights from a Web Usability Study.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 28.3 (2002): 122-132. Print.

Crowley, Gwyneth H., et al. “User Perceptions of the Library’s Web Pages: A Focus Group Study at Texas A&M University.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 28.4 (2002): 205-210. Print.

Foster, Nancy Fried, Nora Dimmock, and Alison Bersani. “Participatory Design of Websites with Web Design Workshops.” The Code4Lib Journal 2 (2008): n. pag. Web. 17 Sept. 2008. <http://journal.code4lib.org/‌articles/‌53>.

UCSD Libraries. “UCSD Libraries Portal Terminology Test 1.” Usability Testing for UCSD Libraries . University of California San Diego, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2008. <http://gort.ucsd.edu/‌escowles/‌about- sage-archive/‌.../‌terminologytest.doc>.