VISUAL INTERFACE DATABASE WITH FISHEYE TECHNOLOGY Visual Interface Usability Evaluation For Energy Database Collection Project (EDC) of Digital Government Research Center (DGRC) Peter Sommer Ju-Ling Shih, Laura Zadoff Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning

About the Project Project Description Project Presentation Video Clip Project Description (Judith Klavans) Rationale for Evaluation (Judith Klavans) Project Presentation Project Presentation (Surabhan Temiyabutr) Screen Shot Old DGUI New DGUI Gummy Bear Show Websites DGUI Old Gummy Bear Show Colorful Gummy Bear Show

Goals of Evaluation optimize the effectiveness of the interface, identify usability problems, provide feedback on the overall functionality, anticipate changes in user need that might drive future development, validate the design, indicate the extent to which the interface improves on previous interfaces.

Methods of Evaluation Contrast Analysis Heuristics Task Analysis Questionnaires

Contrast Analysis Menu System vs. Fisheye Technological User Functionality Query efficiency Friendliness User Query styles Strategies Easiness Heuristics: see comparison chart.

Comparison Example e.g. (3.D) Tracing ability. Documentation of search process and task steps to enable users to trace their footprints. DataGate: DataGate allows you to save files or download datasets onto local drives so the users can continue unfinished work in other time. It allows users to download the queries and print out search results. Others: Some databases allow users to go back to a previous stage in the query history. Fisheye: Users can see the context and options on the screen, therefore can go for an alternative path for a query.

Analysis of Traditional Database Query Log Analysis of EDS DataGate Flexibility in Choosing Variables Options to Sets of Variables Options to Adjust Individual Variable Keyword Search: Search Methods and Syntax “All” vs. “Any” “And” vs. “Or” Modification of Queries From General to Specific From Specific to General Query Log Analysis Flexibility in Choosing Variables: Menus of sets of variables. Keyword Search: Search Methods and Search Syntax - “All” vs. “Any” - “and” vs. “or” - If can’t fine anything from “Sprawl” in ALL search, then cannot find “urban sprawl” in ALL search. But if find “urban sprawl” in ANY search, then might get matches in “urban”. Modification of Queries: General vs. Specific Interviews

Interviews Interdisciplinary Conversation Interviewees: EDS librarians Jane Weintrop Nicole Fox Reference Desk librarians Jerry Breeze Alysse Jordan

Interview Findings User Type Identification User Goals Kinds of Questions Brief History of Search Types of Searches Related Terms for Searches Selecting the database Learning to use the Interface Student’s Searching Styles Searching Styles of Fisheye Design Flexibility to Searching Styles Helping the User Define the Search Standardize Problem Librarians’ Duty Suggestions for the Fisheye Design Related Terms for Searches - Most common difficulty is to use related terms to define search. - Functions of Thesaurus and Natural Language Processing can be useful. Learning to use the Interface - Search Box is the most common thing, also the standard usage, for everybody in the web age. - Most students are now accustomed to keyword searches and would be puzzled by other interfaces. - Younger users might be easier to adopt new interface. - Automatic Truncation. Searching Styles of Fisheye Design - Good for those who are not sure what they are looking for. - Offer alternatives. - Users can be overwhelmed by the design. - Users tend to make the queries too broad or too specific. Helping the User Define the Search - “Why are you looking for this?” Instead of “What are you looking for?” - Users often have difficulties in phrasing what they are looking for. - Help the users to understand that the results of their first query are not all they can get. They have to modify queries, try another approach, or try another database to find what they want to find. Suggestions for the Fisheye Design - Start with a Search Box. - Indication of the amount and direction of results. - Record all the searches users do.

Heuristics Goal Evaluators Design Heuristics Usability inspection method targeting on interface design by judging compliances to certain principles for successful design. Evaluators Library Staff Design Adapted from existing research Modified for Energy Database Heuristics Five Categories Appearance, Language, Functionality, Structure, Assistance

Task Analysis Process Goal Participants Task Scenarios Interview Observation Goal User Behaviors User Intuitiveness for Different Groups of Users Strengths and Weaknesses of the Design Participants Content Experts Government Agency Workers Faculty and Students

Questionnaire Upon Completion of the Project Target on Actual Users Summative Evaluation Preliminary Questionnaire Timeline