The purpose of this study is to identify key areas of interest pertaining to the new IAKM website. This study investigates work rendered during the first iteration of changes pertain- ing to the new redesign. First we needed to identify user characteristics by having our user population participate in two surveys. The results will be analyzed and two user profiles will be build from the information gathered. Once the profiles are identified and developed we will then find some participants that meet the characteristic bound by the profiles that were developed, and they will participate in a user task analysis.

1. Requirements
Analysis
http://iakm-dev2.slis.kent.edu/
Matthew Pahls
November 13, 2009

2. 2
Statement of Work
The purpose of this study is to identify key areas of interest pertaining to the new IAKM
website. This study investigates work rendered during the first iteration of changes pertaining to the new redesign. First we needed to identify user characteristics by having our user
population participate in two surveys. The results will be analyzed and two user profiles will
be build from the information gathered. Once the profiles are identified and developed we
will then find some participants that meet the characteristic bound by the profiles that were
developed, and they will participate in a user task analysis.
From the information gathered a set of goals for the new interface will be developed. The
study will also note any limitations posed by the system. The study will wrap up with a set
of design principals that should be taken into consideration in the next iteration of development.
1. Statement of work [Pg 2]
2. Survey [Pg 3]
3. User Profiles [Pg 26]
4. Task Analysis [Pg 27]
5. Usability Goals [Pg 29]
6. System Capabilities and Constraints [Pg 30]
7. Design Principals [Pg 32]

3. 3
Survey
The research team divided the survey into two distinct user segments that would participate
separate surveys. Both surveys were exactly the same but getting empirical results from
each group separately allowed the team to see how each user segment interacted with the
Information Architecture and Knowledge Management Site. From this data two user profiles
will be created since we were knowledgeable enough to segregate the users early on in the
process.
IAKM Survey
Over half [54%] of the participants of the survey were between the ages of 26 and 40. The
users between the ages of 18 and 25 [23%] and 41 - 55 [23%] made up the rest of the users
that participated in the study. The majority of the users resided in the age range of 26 to 40,
and based on that information these users should be the target audience for the IAKM website based on the finding of the general survey.

4. 4
Survey
SLIS Survey
Half [50%] of the user that participated in the survey were between the ages of 26 and
40. The users between the ages of 18 and 25 [25%] and 41 - 55 [25%] made up the rest of
the users that participated in the study. Even though only 50% of the participants are noted
in the 26 - 40 age range; that age range only compromises 14 years of deviation. The larger user population encompasses a deviation of 21 years. The IAKM website should be targeting the 26 to 40 age range based on the information gathered from the SLIS survey.
Combined Analysis
Both surveys warranted the same outcome for this question. The target audience for the
IAKM website is 26 to 40 years old.

5. 5
Survey
IAKM Survey
The majority of the participants were male [67%] and the minority of the participants were
female [33%].
SLIS Survey
The majority of the participants were female [67%] and the minority of the participants were
male [33%].

6. 6
Survey
Combined Analysis
Here we had conflicting results based on the audience segments involved. The IAKM survey showed that over half of the audience was compromised of mostly male users.
IAKM Survey
Three locations were represented by the survey. Ohio [85%] had by far the majority of responses, and New Jersey [8%] / Virginia [8%] both made up the rest of the responses
equally.

7. 7
Survey
SLIS Survey
Ohio represented [100%] of the users that participated in the survey
Combined Analysis:
The majority of the users are located within Ohio, and relying on the principal of locality that
the program is located in Ohio the numbers also state that most of the user population is
going to reside here in Ohio.

8. 8
Survey
IAKM Survey
All but one user stated that they would like to participate.
SLIS Survey
All but one user stated that they would like to participate.

9. 9
Survey
Combined Analysis
Almost all of the users are vested in the success of the site and would like to participate in
further activities that could potentially warrant a better user experience in any new iterations
of the site.
IAKM Survey

10. 10
Survey
Combined Analysis
Almost all of the users are vested in the success of the site and would like to participate in
further activities that could potentially warrant a better user experience in any new iterations
of the site.
SLIS Survey
Combined Analysis
This portion of the survey allowed the user to input their email address so they could be
contacted if further investigation was needed.

11. 11
Survey
IAKM Survey
All but one user does not have any vision impairments.
SLIS Survey
Here [83%] of the users stated they didn't have any vision problems, and [17%] stated that
they have at least one condition.

12. 12
Survey
IAKM Survey
Glasses / Contacts: near sighted.
SLIS Survey
I wear glasses--bifocals (should be trifocals, really).
Combined Analysis
All user input lead to the need for corrective lenses to properly utilize the site. Even though
subjective user population measured here is small the IAKM site must take their need into
consideration.

13. 13
Survey
IAKM Survey
All but one response was indicated by a yes answer
Yes [92%] / No [8%]
SLIS Survey
All 12 responded No [100%]

14. 14
Survey
Combined Analysis
Here we see again where the two user segments differ in their responses. This mainly has
to do with the fact on how the survey was distributed, but getting people that are not directly
affiliated with the program can also warrant information from user that are not experts in the
program.
IAKM Survey
Over half of the users indicated that the heard about the program from a former or current
student [58%]. Two users found the program from searching the web [17%]. The rest of
the users marked other and then listed their experience in the next question.

15. 15
Survey
SLIS Survey
Here the majority [67%] of the users marked other, and listed their experience in the next
question. The second highest result was hearing about the program from a former or current student [25%]. One user had indicated they found the program by searching the web.
Combined Analysis
Here the audience segments show drastically different representations on how they heard
about the program. The general survey indicates a heavy word of mouth usage in getting
IAKM to the masses. On the other side of the table you have the SLIS survey that indicates
that their experiences were not mentioned in the surveys expected allotted answers.

16. 16
Survey
IAKM Survey
Researched IT Management MS programs in the Akron area.
One of my undergrad teachers
SLIS Survey

17. 17
Survey
SLIS Survey
SLIS classes
From the SLIS student handbook (the dual masters program is mentioned in there).
Representative from Kent State who visited OCLC
I am enrolled in the SLIS program
SLIS
though the LIS program at Kent State
Kent State
I am a student at SLIS
Through Kent's School of Library and Information Science
From my employer. I am also a current SLIS student
an email
friend of mine in SLIS program
MLIS Kent State 12-12-12 program
professor
SLIS orientation this fall
From SLIS
SLIS website
Kent listserv--knew about it from Dr.Froelich
SLIS Orientation
Throught the Kent State MLIS program

18. 18
Survey
IAKM Survey
This survey indicates a high level of computer expertise [45%], and well over [36%] of the
users state that they have above experience with computers. Only [18%] of the users
tested state they have average computer experience.

19. 19
Survey
SLIS Survey
Half of the users represented rated themselves above average. While [42%] rated themselves average and one user [8%] stated they as below average.
Combined Analysis
The users represented in the general user survey perceived themselves experts; while the
SLIS audience segment state a more average knowledge of computers.

20. 20
Survey
IAKM Survey
All users that took this survey indicate that they use the computer daily

21. 21
Survey
SLIS Survey
Only one user represented by this survey doesn't utilize a computer on a daily basis

22. 22
Survey
Combined Analysis
Both audience segments utilize the computer on a daily basis.
IAKM Survey
Half of the users here mention PC as their platform for computer usage; while MAC / Both
share the rest of the answers [25%].

23. 23
Survey
SLIS Survey
Here we have a high usage of PC [92%] for their platform, but [8%] users answered that
they use both.
Combined Analysis
Both segments elude that PC is the platform that is utilized the most. In second comes the
Mac, but the numbers also indicate that the users are using both platforms.

24. 24
Survey
SLIS Survey
Here an overwhelmingly [83%] of the users have never utilized the site in the past. The
numbers might look bad at first, but there is positive outcome with retrospect on how we can
utilize their lack of previous knowledge. We could target these individuals during the task
analysis to identify how someone with little to no experience might find information on the
site.

25. 25
Survey
SLIS Survey
Here we try to identify where the user would reside in the IAKM realm. Most of the information presented by this question states that these users are interested in getting more information about the program [42%]. Others are interested in applying for coursework [17%],
and a couple don't even know what the program is but would like to gather more information
[17%]. The rest of the users [25%] aren't sure.

26. 26
User Profile
IAKM Source
Name: William Gates
Age: 33
Occupation: Professional / coming back to obtain a Masters Degree
Bill works full time as a web designer, but as his experience grows in his professional field
he feels the need to further his knowledge and focus his attention towards better understanding his users. Motivated by his personal need for growth in his field of work Bill had
applied and got accepted into the Information Architecture and knowledge management degree program. His concentration was a no brainer to him as he choose User Experience
Design because it seemed to meld with what he was already doing professionally. William
utilizes the IAKM website as his home base to make sure he maintains the proper track as
he progresses through this portion of his academic life. He doesn’t frequent the site daily he
does depend on it heavily at certain times of the year for information on what courses he
must take in order to graduate in a timely manor.
SLIS Source
Name: Elizabeth Book-Neil
Age 30
Occupation: Student / currently pursuing a Masters Degree from the School of Library Sciences
Elizabeth is currently a full time student pursuing her maters degree from the school of library and information sciences. But as she progresses through her program she becomes
very interested in some of the coursework in the Knowledge Management concentration of
the Information Architecture and Knowledge Management program. The courses she is taking in one area of study seem to meld well with what could be derived from courses in
knowledge management. Elizabeth uses the IAKM website as an investigation tool as she
combs through her educational possibilities. She doesn’t frequent the site too often, and
when she does she uses the browsing nature of the site to further her desire to obtain information about courses in knowledge management.

27. 27
Baseline Study
For the baseline study two uses were asked to perform the tasks mentioned below. These
tasks were developed based on the information that was derived from both the survey and
the results from the users profiles.
User 1
Task
You are a prospective
Knowledge Management
certificate student. How
would you apply to the program?
You are a prospective User
Experience Design Student. How would you apply
to the program?
You are interested in a
graduate assistantship.
Find information about applying for this position
It is time to schedule for the
Spring 2010 Semester.
Find course descriptions
for the Knowledge Management Concentration
You are approaching
graduation and beginning
to think about the master’s
project or capstone. Find
information that will help
you make your decision
Notes
The user found the information right away with little
effort.
Time to Complete
13 Seconds
The user got lost by going
to the UXD Master Link on
the home page and all that
area did was list courses.
Did not mention applying.
First the user tried the
search, and then tried the
current student / Employment Opportunities
58 Seconds
Second attempt the user
went to the FAQ
The user was able to find
this information quickly
7 Seconds
The user was now used to
the reliability of the FAQ
and went directly there.
17 Seconds
2:10 seconds
11 Seconds

28. 28
Baseline Study
User 2
Task
You are a prospective
Knowledge Management
certificate student. How
would you apply to the program?
You are a prospective User
Experience Design Student. How would you apply
to the program?
You are interested in a
graduate assistantship.
Find information about applying for this position
It is time to schedule for the
Spring 2010 Semester.
Find course descriptions
for the Knowledge Management Concentration
You are approaching
graduation and beginning
to think about the master’s
project or capstone. Find
information that will help
you make your decision
Notes
Utilized the left navigation
to go to programs then
found the program
Time to Complete
35 Seconds
Used the left hand navigation and went to programs
then found the program information
Utilized the FAQ and then
went to financial aid.
10 Seconds
Went to the KM curriculum
page
7 Seconds
First went to apply now.
Then went to current student forms.
27 Seconds
19 Seconds

29. 29
Usability Goals
The Information Architecture and Knowledge Management site is used primarily as a way to
ascertain information from either students that are currently in the degree program or the
prospective student that want to find more information about a particular degree program.
Both target audiences want the information to be readily available and rather easy to find.
Since neither target audience frequents the site; ease of learning should be the primary
topic of concern. Since this site is targeted at two major facets of users and they have clear
and distinct needs both pertaining the discovery and competition of a given degree program
the site needs to focus a novice level approach. This means all elements of the site adhere
to a high satisfaction rate that is tightly coupled with ease of learning. Satisfying those two
elements will definitely increase the overall success of the site and it’s intended functions.
Site Characterizes
 All the users to quickly find information, but warrant browsing and further investigation
 The site needs consistency and prevents the user from getting lost.
 The site also needs to allow the user to return to the point of origin quickly and with
little effort.
 The style infractions on this iteration of the new IAKM site must be resolved.
Recommendations
 Based on watching the users complete the tasks that were given to them; the sites
navigation needs to be restructured. I am recommending starting out with a card
sorting exercise to see what the users have for expectations on the current structure
of the site’s navigational elements. Then going back at the results and then try to
look at where improvements could be made.

30. 30
System Capabilities and Constraints
Platform: Joomla
User Management: The system allows users to configure their own personal options. There
are nine user groups that are pared with their own respective permissions. These permissions are what dictate the user’s access, edit, and publish levels for the site.
Authentication can also be managed via various protocols that include LDAP, OpenID, and
even Gmail. This allows the users to utilized preexisting account to streamline any registration process.
Media Manager: This tool employs management of medial files and folders, and is tightly
coupled with the Article Editor so the content developer can readily insert media at any time.
Language Manager: The platform supports many of the worlds various languages and also
UTF-8 encoding.
Banner Manager: This tool allows the user to easily setup banners on a Website.
Contact Management: The contact manager allows you to find the right person for the task
at hand. Grouping of contacts are also possible that adds a layer of abstraction and group
notifications can be initiated.
Content Management: Content can be organized anyway the organization sees fit. Developing the content is simple and powered by a WYSIWYG editor that allows even the novice
user to have the ability on combining test, images, and other various formats in an attractive
way. Published content can be made available for download via email, or PDF so the users
can retain the information in their own personal collections. Administrators have the ability
to archive content for backup purposes, hiding it from the active site.
Syndication and Newsfeed Management: Syndication is a snap this tool allows your site to
easily be viewed in RSS format making content available in other ways. It is also just as
easy to bring RSS feeds to the site by defining a source and embedding the object into the
desired location.
Menu Manger: The menu manager allows the site developers to create endless arrays of
menus. The menu structure is completely separated from the content structure allowing the
site to change quickly and with little effort. This tool also allows easy implementation of
breadcrumbs that aid in letting the users know where they have come from and make the
site simpler to navigate.

31. 31
System Capabilities and Constraints
Template Management: Templates are a powerful way creating consistency between the
various pages throughout the site, and making the site look exactly as indented. Templates
are not locked down in any sense, and overrides can be implanted at any level.
Integrated Help System: This built in tool helps users in finding what they need. Combined
with a powerful online presence help and support are only a click away.
System Features: Timely page loads are accomplished through caching, and GZIP page
compression. If issues are occurring; debugging mode is available to the administrator so
the issue can quickly be identified and resolved. The file transport protocol layer allows file
operations without having to compromising your sites security. Administrators can quickly
communicate with users through private messaging or mass messaging.
Web Services: This feature allows the use of Remote Procedure Calls so services that implore XML-RPC can be integrated.
Extensibility: The heart of Joomla is in the community behind the product and the Open
Source development platform it was based on. The community is personally invested in the
growth of the product
breadcrumbs that aid in letting the users know where they have come from and make the
site simpler to navigate.

32. 32
Design Principles
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The site must adhere to a common look and feel though out its entire presence.
Navigation must be consistent to avoid pogo sticking.
The user must know where they are located; this should be implemented with breadcrumbs.
Hyperlinks need to conform to what the user expects. They should be underlined and be
presented in a distinct color that warrants clicking. Links to external resources need to
be clearly marked so the user knows they will be leaving the current site.
All errors that are encountered must be presented to the end user in a readable format in
a common language that describes the issue and possible solutions. The system must
also log and notify the administrator that this problematic event has occurred.
Searches must provide the user with pertinent and relevant search results that aid in the
accomplishment of getting to the right information quickly.
Content must be divided logically and written so that the information is presented properly and can be easily understood.
Style consistency must be done though the usage of CSS, and should be applied to at
the general level and overridden when the situation warrants it.
The design of the website must be attractive to look at. Making sure it isn’t boring, cluttered, overwhelming.
The site must behave properly across all browsers and different sized monitors & screen
settings
It is also very important to adhere to 508 compliance standards for accessibility.