MaNIS Interface MaNIS Interface ProjectProject

Mayjane CoDenise Green

Jane LeeRebecca Shapley

The MaNIS Project

►NSF funded project to develop network of distributed databases of mammal specimen data

►Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley is one of 17 North American institutions involved.

Prototype 1 vs. Prototype 2

Feedback From:►Severity 3

Violations ID’d by Paparazzi

►Marti►Team Members

Changes To:►Panel

Relationships►Documentation►Zero Results►State Indicators►New Search

Panel Relationships - Old

Panel Relationships - New

Documentation – Old

Documentation – New

Zero Results - Old

Zero Results - New

State Indicators - Old

State Indicators - New

New Search - Old

New Search - New

DemoDemo

Pilot Usability Study: PurposePilot Usability Study: Purpose

►Can users understand, navigate, and Can users understand, navigate, and use the interface without any training use the interface without any training or explanation?or explanation?

►Were there substantial improvements Were there substantial improvements between the first interactive prototype between the first interactive prototype and this second interactive prototype? and this second interactive prototype?

Pilot Usability Study: MethodPilot Usability Study: Method

► 3 participants3 participants Biology studentBiology student Faculty curatorFaculty curator Research data managerResearch data manager

► 3 scenarios3 scenarios Which museums should I visit to review specimens? Which museums should I visit to review specimens? Where is the best place to capture a bat? Where is the best place to capture a bat? What species is this? What species is this?

► 2 test measures2 test measures Task TimeTask Time Number of ErrorsNumber of Errors

What the Critics are Saying What the Critics are Saying (Results of the Study)(Results of the Study)

►Users liked the step-by-step search Users liked the step-by-step search refinement refinement

►After one successful search they After one successful search they understood how the system workedunderstood how the system worked

►Average rating for ease-of-use 4.3 out of Average rating for ease-of-use 4.3 out of 55

►Average rating for overall satisfaction 4.3 Average rating for overall satisfaction 4.3 out of 5out of 5

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

►User’s experience level with previous User’s experience level with previous interfaces affects their expectationsinterfaces affects their expectations

►Designing a single interface to suit the Designing a single interface to suit the beginner, the moderate user, and the beginner, the moderate user, and the super-user all at once continues to be super-user all at once continues to be a difficult challenge a difficult challenge

►Both heuristic evaluation and usability Both heuristic evaluation and usability tests provided lots of useful feedbacktests provided lots of useful feedback

►Schedule more users than you needSchedule more users than you need

Final Prototype VersionFinal Prototype Version

What we aren’t doing:What we aren’t doing:►Have two conditions within one facet, Have two conditions within one facet,

related by OR.related by OR.► Ideas for the AND/OR display. Ideas for the AND/OR display. ►Hundreds of other details we were Hundreds of other details we were

able to imagine as good features of able to imagine as good features of our design….our design….

Final Prototype VersionFinal Prototype Version

What we are doing:What we are doing:►Display preview numbers on Display preview numbers on

hyperlinks that add search conditionshyperlinks that add search conditions►Location search in multiple fieldsLocation search in multiple fields►Bold text within results where it Bold text within results where it

matches search textmatches search text

Allow State or Locality in Allow State or Locality in LocationLocation

Dynamically-Generated Dynamically-Generated CountsCounts

““Bold” Search TermsBold” Search Terms

Final Prototype VersionFinal Prototype Version

……or is it?or is it?

Feedback from project sponsors suggests the design Feedback from project sponsors suggests the design will inform HerpNet, OrNIS, and a future MaNIS will inform HerpNet, OrNIS, and a future MaNIS revision.revision.

The Research Information Manager at California The Research Information Manager at California Academy of Sciences considering implementing this Academy of Sciences considering implementing this design for some CAS online databases.design for some CAS online databases.

BNHM /MVZ Summer internship extending the design BNHM /MVZ Summer internship extending the design development to maps, advanced queries.development to maps, advanced queries.

Final Prototype VersionFinal Prototype Version

……or is it?or is it?

““The SIMS213 team … has produced a remarkably innovative The SIMS213 team … has produced a remarkably innovative and useful prototype… designed to aid both the and useful prototype… designed to aid both the knowledgeable researcher and the casual user to find knowledgeable researcher and the casual user to find relevant information. …[T]he design innovations apply relevant information. …[T]he design innovations apply equally well to at least two additional MaNIS-derived NSF equally well to at least two additional MaNIS-derived NSF projects, HerpNet and ORNIS, under which the designs projects, HerpNet and ORNIS, under which the designs can be further developed into a production system. I offer can be further developed into a production system. I offer my sincere thanks for the hard work, careful thought, and my sincere thanks for the hard work, careful thought, and open-minded creativity applied by the team.” open-minded creativity applied by the team.”

- John - John Wieczorek, MaNIS developerWieczorek, MaNIS developer