We used TechSmithMoraeto conduct usability testing of the West Virginia University Libraries’ mobile website on various smartphone devices as provided by the individual user. This round of usability testing was internal to WVU Libraries, utilizing undergraduate student employees.

1. MOBILE USABILITY TESTING
WVU Libraries

2. WVU LIBRARIES MOBILE USABILITY TEST
Problem:
We used TechSmith Morae to conduct usability testing of the West Virginia University Libraries’ mobile
website on various smartphone devices as provided by the individual user. This round of usability testing
was internal to WVU Libraries, utilizing undergraduate student employees.

3. TEST PARTICIPANTS
Colin Erick Evan Katherine Shawn

4. TEST VIDEOS
https://testing.lib.wvu.edu/mobile_usability/Colin.wmv
https://testing.lib.wvu.edu/mobile_usability/Erick.wmv
https://testing.lib.wvu.edu/mobile_usability/Evan.wmv
https://testing.lib.wvu.edu/mobile_usability/katherine.wmv
https://testing.lib.wvu.edu/mobile_usability/shawn.wmv

5. TESTING TASKS
1. Go to the WVU Libraries website.
2. Where on the website do you go to take the Plagiarism Avoidance Tutorial?
3. Find today’s hours for Eliza’s Coffee Shop.
4. Where can you find information about the kinds of cameras you can check out from the library?
5. What is the loan period for books for undergraduate students?
6. Where would you find a book at the Downtown Campus Library with a call number that starts with the letter D?
7. Where would you go on the website to contact a librarian with a question about where something is located in the library?
8. Find information about borrowing a laptop from the Downtown Library and the Evansdale Library.
9. Where can you find information about how to print in color?
10. Which courses does the library offer?
11. Where is the home page for the Health Sciences Library?
12. Can you find Martin Dunlap’s phone number on the WVU Libraries website?

6. OVERALL TASK:
AVERAGE TIME
* Average time includes delivery of tasks.

7. OVERALL TASK:
SUCCESS
Failed to complete
Completed with difficulty
Completed
Completed with ease

8. POST-ASSESSMENT: QUESTIONS
1. I found the Libraries’ website unnecessarily complex.
2. I thought this website was easy to use on my phone.
3. I think that I would need help to use this website.
4. I would imagine that most people would learn to use this website very quickly.
5. I found this website very cumbersome to use on my phone.
6. I felt very confident using this website.
7. I needed to learn a lot of things before I could use this website effectively.
8. What are you most likely to do on the Libraries’ website via your phone?
9. What would you like to be able to do on the Libraries’ website via your phone that’s not
currently possible?

9. POST-ASSESSMENT: RESULTS
I found the Libraries’ website unnecessarily complex.
I thought this website was easy to use on my phone.
I think that I would need help to use this website.
I would imagine that most people would learn to use this website very quickly.
I found this website very cumbersome to use on my phone.
I felt very confident using this website.
I needed to learn a lot of things before I could use this website effectively.20%
80%
60%
40%
60%
20%
20%
40%
20%
20%
20%
20%
60%
20%
20%
20%
40%
60%
60%
Strongly Disagree Disagree N/A Agree Strongly Agree
What are you most likely to do on the Libraries’ website via your phone?
• 50% check the library hours
• 40% check out or look at possible books
• 10% reserve a study room
What would you like to be able to do on the Libraries’ website via your phone that’s
not currently possible?
• 60% nothing, N/A, or I found this website to satisfy all my needs
• 20% pictures of books when searching for them
• 20% rent movies from the 2nd floor, but stream them on the phone
    

10. OBSERVER COMMENTS
1. Go to the WVU Libraries website.
• No comments
2. Where on the website do you go to take the Plagiarism
Avoidance Tutorial?
• Citation Help (maybe we should put a link there?)
• Went to citation for plagiarism
• Found dropdown right away, didn't think of instruction
• User is looking around homepage
• Searching in all search box
• Would search but thinks it a site search
• Research Guides/ English 101
• Went to research guides
• User thinks search is all, not just website
• Searched in All search box.
• User would search
• Went to site search :)
• Unable to find tutorial, went subject guide to search
• Didn't click on Plagiarism resources.
• Would move to google search/ found in first try
• Went to Research Guide about Plagiarism Tutoral
• Found by searching in summon
• Had to google to find
• Clicked library home from menu.
• Search on homepage didn’t pass over to serial solutions
• Images aren't scaled to mobile on backpage - research
assistance
3. Find today’s hours for Eliza’s Coffee Shop.
• Went to downtown library first then link to multimedia services
under services and resources
• Knows Eliza's is at DCL. Missed links at bottom of page at first.
• Typed in lib.wvu.edu to get back to home page
• Didn't scroll to bottom of page to find Eliza's; went back to home
page before returning to Eliza's page
• User goes back manually, not by clicking
home/dropdown/breadcrumbs
• Took a second to find Eliza's at bottom of hours page.
• Would go to downtown campus hours/elizas at bottom
• Wasn't expecting at bottom
• Wasn't expecting it down there.
• Checked under services
• Student has no idea - Add to quicklinks
• Searched with mobile search box

11. 4. Where can you find information about the kinds of cameras
you can check out from the library?
• User wants to see cameras under Borrowing
• Borrow/Renew; Found link to Multimedia Equipment on Loans
page.
• Found equipment easily from Library Services box. This was a
very recent change.
• Would go to services on homepage
5. What is the loan period for books for undergraduate
students?
• Scrolled past Borrow/Renew at first.
• Used QuickLinks
6. Where would you find a book at the Downtown Campus
Library with a call number that starts with the letter D?
• Found Call Numbers page easily.
• I don't know if it is on the Downtown library
• "I don't know if it's on the Downtown Library."
• Found 4th floor easily. Some prior knowledge?
• Table on Location page was confusing.
• "I don't know which call numbers are at which library"
• User doesn't know what floor/library
• Map isn't mobile friendly
• Table isn't clear, make inline data
• "This was unclear“
7. Where would you go on the website to contact a librarian
with a question about where something is located in the
library?
• Used green tab
• Would go to Services / Ask A Librarian
• Ask a Librarian under Research Help.
• Would click green ask tab
• Found Ask a Librarian tab very easily

12. 8. Find information about borrowing a laptop from the
Downtown Library and the Evansdale Library.
• Maybe need link to laptop borrowing on laptops page.
• Went to Computers and laptops
• Looking laptops info on multimedia services page.
• Went to borrow/renew QuickLink
• Went to Borrow/Guidelines/Laptops
• Would type in address bar to go home... easier
• Wanted to go to borrow for laptops - phrasing
• Looking for laptops info on borrowing page; didn't see link
• Discovered menu at top of site.
• Dropdown at top was secondary
9. Where can you find information about how to print in
color?
• Seems to use quick links as last resort.
• Went to services then Print/Copy/Scan
• Found easily
• Used menu, found easily.
10. Which courses does the library offer?
• Went to course reserves first.
• Would go to course reserves... possibly cross-list courses
there.
• Looking on page for course info.
• Clicked on Instruction. Found easily.
• Use menu and hamburger at top possibly, or floating tabbar
• Searched via site search
• Didn't come up. what did he search?
• Menu icon hamburger would help
11. Where is the home page for the Health Sciences Library?
• Click on hours rather than link; but found correct link.
• Homepage link maybe needs more spacing between hours and
library link

13. 12. Can you find Martin Dunlap’s phone number on the
WVU Libraries website?
• Contact - Faculty and Staff
• Went to contact/faculty & Staff
• Wish there was a shorter list to select
• ‘”I wish there was a D to click on. This is a lot of scrolling”
• Need to use menu with hamburger
• Looking for contact us; then clicked on faculty and staff under
user resources.
• Buttons are too close
• Searched under all for Martin Dunlap
• Searched in summon
• User wants to see a list of faculty and staff under faculty
resources
• Clicked contact, then faculty and staff.
• Went to contact
• Went to faculty and staff resources on homepage
• Found contact in menu; clicked on library contacts by subject
• May want to include directory list there
• Eliminate pictures on mobile
• 'Looking for a Faculty Button'
• Looking for a faculty button
• Searching under subject librarians
• She knew Martin worked at the DCL.
• A list view on mobile for mobile
• Would use site search
• Searched WVU directory
• Had to scroll though all pictures - should make a list on
mobile, then show picture and full profile on click

14. PROPOSED UX ENHANCEMENTS
- Include plagiarism under citation
- Make website search the default tab for the search box, or refine search
box based on usability testing search box prototypes.
- Hours web application on mobile needs to take up less space, and
compartmentalize departments into library buildings. Perhaps conduct a
separate usability test for the hours web application.
- Hours is a good candidate for QuickLinks user customization.
- Scale backpage main content images for mobile browser widths.
- Reduce the number of links in the left sub-navigation to 7 or less for
readability purposes by making the text content (i.e. About Us webpage)
better include the left-hand services into the main body of text, with
appropriate linking.
- Include Cameras and other specific equipment's icons and borrowing
lengths under Borrowing, and link off to multimedia equipment.
- Possibly change the term multimedia services/multimedia equipment to
what the equipment is (i.e. cameras, recorders, etc.) or simply audio/video
equipment.
- Write a custom table for the floors/call numbers so it displays less
confusing on mobile devices.
- Remove or revise the floor maps because users aren’t using the floor maps
for call number identification, and the floor maps aren't mobile friendly.
- Link to laptop borrowing on laptops page.
- Implement a sticky tabbar or menu with outline and hamburger icon to
facilitate better navigation.
- Refine mobile search box to be more mobile friendly, relay tab selection
better, and show all search parameter options.
- Cross-list WVU Library courses underneath Course Reserves
- Add space in between or create buttons for hours and libraries on the
homepage.
- Cross list faculty and staff under Faculty & Staff Resources, eliminate the
pictures on mobile/make them smaller, and first list names in alphabetical
order on mobile that link into profiles.

15. CARLY FIORINA
Customers always know what’s wrong. They can’t always tell you
what they want, but they always can tell you what’s wrong.