E-Libraries May 17, 2001 Usability Testing: Making Your Web Site More User-Friendly Presented by Elaina Norlin and Patricia Morris University of Arizona

E-Libraries May 17, 2001 Reasons To Do Usability Testing  Out with the old and in with the new!!  Evaluate old website because you have been adding more resources and not sure whether patrons are getting what they need.  Administration questioning the cost effectiveness on increasing library budgets  Outside people have taken over your library website, want to form a group to offer suggestions

E-Libraries May 17, 2001 A Simple Usability Test: What are the Basics?  Goal and Objectives  Web Usability Group  Recruiting Participants  Moderator and Recorder  Setting the Room  Analyzing the Test  Making Changes  Retesting

E-Libraries May 17, 2001 Before you Test  Develop Goals and Objectives: At Trihard University Library we want our students to successfully find books and articles on their particular topic  Develop a Usability Test Group: For this presentation, Elaina is the facilitator, you are the recorders and path keepers..

E-Libraries May 17, 2001 During the Test  The facilitator will encourage the person to TALK OUT LOUD  Your Task: In your resource sheet, you will find either a path outline or a recorder sheet  Your Goal is to either write down everything the participant said or the path  Example of a path; staff development, electronic resources, history, catalog, etc.

E-Libraries May 17, 2001 HERE WE GO!  Demographic info  Remember write everything down the person says or their path

E-Libraries May 17, 2001 Conclusions  You do not need zillions of people to start making changes  Advice: start with the overall website and then narrow down with specific pages  Ex: We started with the whole site, but now we want to work on “Library Resources” because its causing the most trouble.