The document provides an overview of research conducted to evaluate the usability of NEEShub, a software platform used by earthquake engineers. The research included interviews, comparative analysis, heuristic evaluation, surveys, and usability testing. Key findings include difficulties searching and browsing data, lack of clear documentation and help resources, confusing data upload processes, and issues with the file browser. Recommendations focus on improving search functionality, creating quick start guides and tutorials, validating file formats, and providing better notifications for file browser errors or loading states. The goal is to enhance the usability of NEEShub's Project Warehouse for managing and sharing research data.

1.
Team
02
Omid
Farivar
|
Evan
Kerrigan
|
Benjamin
Nayer

2. Agenda
1. Introducing
NEEShub
2. Methods
Employed
3. PrioriGzed
Findings
&
RecommendaGons
4. Summary

3. ABOUT
NEESHUB

4. What
is
NEES?
• Network
for
Earthquake
Engineering
SimulaGon
is
an
NSF-­‐funded
research
organizaGon
• Serves
as
a
network
to
coordinate
and
share
data
and
research
among
earthquake,
civil,
and
structural
engineers
and
14
different
laboratories
throughout
the
U.S.
• Offers
mulGple
services
including
NEEShub,
which
is
our
focus

5. NEEShub?
Project
Warehouse?
• Suite
of
soTware
and
tools
to
store,
share,
and
analyze
data—tailored
to
the
needs
of
the
NEES
community
• At
its
heart
is
the
“Project
Warehouse,”
which
serves
as
the
repository
for
uploading,
managing,
and
sharing
research
data
• Also
offers
an
array
of
tools
for
visualizing
and
analyzing
data
outside
of
the
Project
Warehouse

6. USER
ARCHETYPES

7. Meet
Dr.
Hank
Bryant
• Professor
at
UCSD
• Infrequent
NEEShub
&
Project
Warehouse
user
• More
involved
with
researching
than
managing
data

8. Meet
Natalie
Winkler
• Graduate
student
• Frequent
NEEShub
&
Project
Warehouse
user
• More
involved
with
uploading
and
managing
data

9. METHODS

10. Methods
1. Interviews
3
interviews
(2
PhDs,
1
Prof.)
resulGng
in
personas
2. ComparaGve
EvaluaGon
7
total
sites
3. HeurisGc
EvaluaGon
3
Evaluators,
55
Total
Findings
4. Survey
30
Complete
Responses
5. Usability
TesGng
5
users;
2
in-­‐person
tests
&
3
remote
tests

11. PRIORITIZED
FINDINGS
&
RECOMMENDATIONS

12. PrioriKzed
Findings
&
RecommendaKons
1. Search
&
Browsing
FuncGonality
2. DocumentaGon
&
Help
3. Management
of
Files
&
Data
4. Project
Warehouse
File
Browser

13. Finding
01:
Search
&
Browsing
FuncKonality
in
the
Project
Warehouse
• During
interviews,
users
reported
that
searching
and
browsing
through
data
in
the
Project
Warehouse
were
challenging:
“Other
researchers
have
just
called
me
to
request
the
data…it’s
easier
to
have
a
conversa5on
than
find
it
through
NEES.”

14. Finding
01:
Search
&
Browsing
FuncKonality
in
the
Project
Warehouse
• Site-­‐wide
search
doesn’t
match
user
expectaGons:
usability
test
subjects
were
frustrated
that
project
and
experiment
data
did
not
appear
in
its
search
results—separate
“project
search”
box
does,
however…

15. Finding
01:
Search
&
Browsing
FuncKonality
in
the
Project
Warehouse
• There
were
bright
spots:
one
usability
test
subject
thought
the
automaGcally
provided
subject
tags
would
be
helpful
in
structuring
queries

16. RecommendaKon
01:
MulK-­‐pronged
approach
• Return
project
and
experiment
data
in
site-­‐
wide
search
results
or
noGfy
users
that
these
data
are
not
included
• Improve
training
for
users
on
how
to
navigate
Project
Warehouse
data
• Conduct
further,
deeper
study
on
user’s
behavior
within
the
system’s
file
browser

17. Finding
02:
Help
DocumentaKon
in
the
Project
Warehouse
• NEEShub
has
done
some
good
work
providing
contextual
help,
parGcularly
when
compleGng
online
forms

18. Finding
02:
Help
DocumentaKon
in
the
Project
Warehouse
• Usability
test
subjects
and
survey
respondents
liked
that
the
help
documentaGon
was
made
available,
but
were
oTen
unable
to
find
what
they
were
seeking
• “There
should
be
a
‘Quick
Start
Guide’
or
something
for
newbies…”

19. RecommendaKon
02:
Design
Changes
&
Further
Analysis
Required
• Perform
audits
of
help
resource
contents
as
well
as
further,
deeper
invesGgaGons
on
usage
– A/B
TesGng
– AnalyGcs
• Make
the
“Quick
Start
Guide”
more
visually
prominent
and
consider
offering
a
virtual
“guided
tour”
on
first
login

20. Finding
03:
File
&
Data
Management
in
the
Project
Warehouse
• User
interviews
revealed
that
the
data
upload
process
is
confusing,
parGcularly
regarding
file
types
• HeurisGc
evaluaGon
supported
this
as
well
– Inconsistent
documentaGon
on
acceptable
file
types
– Unhelpful
error
responses
for
wrong
file
types
– DocumentaGon
for
data
&
file
formats
are
not
proximal

21. RecommendaKon
03:
Prevent
errors
&
Provide
helpful
documentaKon
• Provide
clear,
consistent,
contextual
help
and
documentaGon
for
file
uploads
• Validate
file
formats
during
file
upload
• Provide
clearer,
more
accurate
error
messages
with
clear
acGons
for
the
user
to
take

22. Finding
04:
File
Browser
Usage
in
the
Project
Warehouse
• HeurisGc
evaluaGon
revealed
a
major
issue:
some
directories
with
10+
GB
data
appear
to
be
empty
upon
access—what
happened?
– Is
the
data
gone?
– Has
an
error
has
occurred?
– Do
I
have
insufficient
privileges?
– Is
the
system
sGll
loading?
– Something
else?

24. RecommendaKon
04:
Provide
accurate
&
appropriate
noKficaKon
of
system
status
• If
the
directory
sizes
are
incorrect,
provide
correct
labels
• If
the
system
needs
addiGonal
to
load
the
view,
provide
users
with
a
status
indicator
such
as
a
spinner
to
inform
them
as
such
• Offer
helpful
error
noGficaGons
(e.g.,
“You
do
not
have
permission
to
view
these
data”)
Photo
source:
Panic
–
hmp://panic.com/goods/

25. WRAPPING
UP

26. Summary
• We
have
covered
four
primary
areas
for
usability
improvements
– Search
funcGonality
– Help
&
documentaGon
resources
– File
&
data
management
– File
browsing

27. Summary
• NEEShub
development
team
has
addressed
a
number
of
usability
issues
that
match
those
from
our
observaGons
and
analyses
• We
believe
that
addressing
the
four
issues
outlined
today
will
improve
usability
and
user
saGsfacGon

28. Q
&
A

29. THANKS!