All We Have to Do Is Ask! Usability Testing on the Clark College Libraries Web Site… Presented to students of Bob Hughes’ CGT 105 October 29, 2015
Celebrating 14 years!
Usability = Informed Decisions What do we want users to find, know and do? What do users need to find, know and do? We take our cues from –Questions at service desks –Questions in library instruction –Questions from digital reference –Faculty assignments –listening around campus –Observations –Statistics –User surveys –Collaborations with YOU!
How we interpret Look for patterns Listen to conversations Watch for reactions Anticipate the “ah ha!” Expect the “DOH!”
“Rules of Thumb” No knee-jerk reactions Log everything Collaborate Second Pair of Eyes Avoid drastic changes Avoid change for change’s sake No bells & whistles without reason Unintended consequences
2002 HomePage
After Usability: Red: Top Priority Yellow: Medium Green: no problem
Revised… Original Revised… Revised
More Improvements… Search the Web “before” (static)
Search the Web dynamic
Library Class Links Before…
…a little later…
And today - Dynamic!
Databases A-Z Before…
… a little later…
And today… Dynamic!
The last “hand built” home page (2008)
“Drupal” home page (2012)
Home page today
Plagiarism Tutorial Interface “Before”
Plagiarism Tutorial Interface Later
Tutorial Interface Today
Plagiarism Tutorial Last Year
Plagiarism Tutorial Today (almost)
Plagiarism Tutorial Today (almost)
This year: The Design Challenge!
Thank You!