Website
Usability
Aaron Schmidt
Amanda Etches-Johnson
IL 09

Why usability?

“
Technologies don’t
become socially
interesting until they
become technologically
boring.
- Clay Shirky

“
Technologies don’t
become socially
interesting until they
become technologically
boring.
- Clay Shirky

“
Technologies don’t
become socially
interesting until they
become technologically
boring.
- Clay Shirky

“
Library websites are
unlikely to be socially
interesting if they’re
difficult to use.
- Aaron Schmidt

“
Library websites are
unlikely to be socially
interesting if they’re
difficult to use.
- Aaron Schmidt

Website
priorities
interesting
easy

flash lincoln

?

?!

123
456

1

website tips
write for
the web

How do you feel about reading this text?
This might be a perfectly acceptable
way to write a research paper or novel
but websites aren’t for reading. Sorry to
break it to you. People don’t want to
read your website. They want to find
your information. They’re on a mission
and all of the extra text you’re putting
on the screen is getting in the way of
letting them accomplish their goals.

website tips
Remove
unnecessary
words

website tips
Remove
words

1.5

http://www.yourlibrary.org/
section/ref/12/list6/dir/
kids.html
http://yourlibrary.org/kids

2

website tips
Redesign
your website

3

website tips
Match labels
& pages

4

Appearance
matters

Appearance
matters

5

Whimsey

Don’t really feel like going to
the theatre tonight...

Don’t really feel like going to
the theatre tonight...
Great program about my life
at the library tomorrow http:

Don’t really feel like going to
the theatre tonight...
Great program about my life
at the library tomorrow http:
Four score and seven years...
oh just look it up.

6

Usability
testing in
five words

Watch people
use your
website

usability testing
non -
librarians

Find a magazine article.

Find a magazine article.

Find a magazine article.

Find a magazine article.

Five
second
test

crazyegg.com

Planning for
excellence

Planning for excellence
Usability
inventory

Planning for excellence
90 day
assessments

Planning for excellence

Planning for excellence
1. Forget current site

Planning for excellence
1. Forget current site
2. Gather planners

Planning for excellence
1. Forget current site
2. Gather planners
3. Determine audience

Planning for excellence
1. Forget current site
2. Gather planners
3. Determine audience
4. Assess & rank needs

Planning for excellence
1. Forget current site
2. Gather planners
3. Determine audience
4. Assess & rank needs
5. Compare

Planning for excellence
1. Forget current site
2. Gather planners
3. Determine audience
4. Assess & rank needs
5. Compare
6. Outline steps

The web is made of people

Make the web for people

?!

:)!

today’s activities
user needs
divide the dollar
card sort

user needs [ try this with your
web team ]
[group 1] Amy is a 42-year old [group 2] Harrison is a 35-
mother and homemaker who year old lawyer who works
likes reading and cooking. At long hours and enjoys sports.
night, after she puts her kids to Harrison uses the web for all
bed, she likes playing cards his online banking, e-billing,
online. and other conveniences.
[group 3] Skye is 9. She uses [group 4] Randy is a 68-year old
the web for email, IM, retired school bus driver who is
homework and Webkinz. new to the web. He has just
started communicating with his
grandkids over Skype.
[10 minutes,15 things]

divide the dollar [ try this with your
users ]
$100
Divide the $ across features
according to importance
Explain why
Everything on your user
needs list must be valued
[5 minutes]

card sort [ try this with your
web team & your users]
1 team
Group cards into categories
Label your categories
[10 minutes]

Resources

INFLUX.US

INFLUX.US /SERVICES

/BLOG
INFLUX.US /SERVICES