usability studies for public libraries
DESCRIPTION
Cheap, easy and effective usability tools for designing user-centered Web sites.TRANSCRIPT
Cheap, easy and powerful usability techniques
Creation and Destruction are Forever Linked
User-centered Web design
I. When should you run usability studies? II. Usability techniques III. Recruiting volunteers (patrons and
staff) IV. Reporting and communicating resultsV. Super secret added bonus of usability
testing and reporting VI. What we missedVII. What we are working on now
Developing a new site
Usability techniques prior to JoCoLibrary launch
• Day-long focus groups with staff• 78 card sorts• 22 paper prototype• 21 interface usability studies• 1 staff feedback survey (with 158
respondents)• 1 patron feedback survey (155
respondents)
Developing a sub-site
Implementing a new application
Implementing a new application
Or simply determining a patron-friendly label or name
Before you start….
Determining the core tasks (this is the tricky part)
• Do you have input from all the stakeholders?
• Who is signing off on this?• Is there anyone else who can sink it?• Who will actually be doing the work?• Intranets are even trickier…
Core tasks
• What are the most important things your users should be able to do on your site?
• For card sorts, this should be limited to around 20 tasks
• For full prototypes or interface usability studies, these need to be whittled down to 10ish.
• After you identify your core tasks, write your questions
Establishing core tasks
Core Tasks & Usability Questions for JoCoLibrary June 2007
You would like to watch Crash on DVD. How would you find out if the Johnson County Library has the movie for you to check-out?
Core task: Find/search the catalog
You’d like a recommendation for something to read. What would you do?Core task: find staff selections/recommendations
You would like to renew some books you have checked out. What would you do?Core task: find “My Account” or contact us
How would you find out if the library offers computer classes?Core task: find calendar of events
Establishing core tasks
Core Tasks & Usability Questions for JoCoLibrary June 2007
You want to know when the Central Resource Library is open. Where do you find that?
Core task: Library hours
You have heard that the library delivers books to people who are homebound. How would you find out more?
Core task: find library services
You are starting a new business and need information. Where do you start?
Core tasks: find partnership/subject specific site
Establishing core tasks
Core Tasks & Usability Questions for JoCoLibrary June 2007
You or your child has a paper on pollution that is due tomorrow. You’ve searched the Web and not found anything, and the library is closed. What would you do?
Core tasks: use articles and more to do research
You’ve read about downloadable audiobooks on the library’s Web site, but you want to ask a librarian for more information. What would you do?
Core task: find contact us (Live chat, e-mail, phone, etc…)
Usability techniques
Card Sorts
Paper Prototyping
Usability Studies
Card sorts to determine labels
More card sorts
Hybrid card sorts/prototypes
Paper prototyping
Usability studies
More usability studies
Encourage interaction and input
Recruiting volunteers
Recruiting volunteers
Recruiting volunteers
Recruiting volunteers
Reporting results
Overall Usability 2007, Phase 1
Very successful
51%
Successful18%
Moderately successful
24%
Not successful
7%
Overall Usability 2007, Phase 2
Very successful
47%
Successful29%
Moderately successful
20%
Not successful4%
JoCoLibrary Usability Studies, Phase 2July 23-26
Reporting results
Adult Usability Results 2004
Very successful
33%
Moderately successful
16%
Not successful
42%
Successful9%
Adult Usability Results 2007, Phase 1
Moderately successful
24%
Very successful
51%
Not successful
7%
Successful18%
Overall results (all studies combined) 2004 vs. 2007:
Reporting and communicating results
Super secret added bonus of testing, reporting & keeping
everyone involved
Staff understanding & buy-in!• Staff scavenger hunt: 113 respondents• 87.5% love it or like it• 10.8% think it’s ok• 0% didn’t like it or hated it• 1.8% “Other”• What should we improve before launch?
“That’s a tough one. You all have exceeded my expectations.”
Launched August 15, 2007!
What we missed
What we missed
What we missed
What we missed
What we missed
What we are working on now
What we are working on now
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Usability studies…
• Save you time from quibbling, from making a lot of bad decisions, from revising based on a poorly designed foundation
• Ensure that you’re thinking through each step• Give you evidence to help you make decisions• Give you evidence to back up your decisions
later• Let you see things from a user-perspective• Show your colleagues and patrons what you do• Encourage user participation in site
development in a meaningful way• Are always worth the time and effort…