1. DL Interfaces & Users LIS 5472 Digital Libraries Week 12
Instructor: Dr. Sanghee Oh
College of Communication & Information, Florida State University

2. Featured DL Presentations
Jonathan Klepper
Matthew Hunter
Robin Martin

3. DL Project Questions?

4. Peer-Group Evaluation
The level of EFFORT by this group member. [e.g. attendance at all group meetings, was on time and prepared for group meetings, promptly responded to group s, group discussion boards, etc.]
How much INPUT did this group member contribute to: Organizing and/or scheduling group work? Completing assigned tasks on schedule? Creating effective communication?
The QUALITY of that effort. [e.g. quality of research, quality of products, etc.]
How would you rate his or her level of COOPERATION? [Flexibility with scheduling, etc.]
What's the level of this group member's POSITIVE IMPACT on this project? [leadership, patience, helpful, considerate, compassionate, etc.]

5. DL Architecture Principles

6. Interaction Design in Digital Libraries
Visualizing what appears on the screen of a digital library
Identifying how users manipulate, search, browse and use objects in a digital library
Enhancing the effective interaction among components of digital libraries

7. Key Principles for User-Centered Systems Design (Source)

8. Evaluating the Design Jakob Nielsen’s five usability attributes
Learnability (easy to use)
Efficiency (efficient to use)
Memorability (easy to remember)
Errors (a low error rate)
Satisfaction (pleasant to use)
Kling and Elliott’s usability for digital libraries (Kling & Elliott, 1994)
User acceptance of digital libraries (Thong, Hong, & Tam, 2002)

9. Usability Evaluation by Analysts
Heuristic Evaluation (Blandford, et al., 2004)
Quick, cheap, easy, and the most popular evaluation method
Working through every page or screen of a system
3-5 analysts are recommended to examine the system (Nielsen, 1994)
Revising prototypes based on problems identified and prioritized during the evaluation
(For more detailed information about how to conduct a heuristic evaluation, please go to useit.com at

10. 10 Usability Heuristics by Jakob Nielsen
Visibility of system status
Match between system and the real world
User control and freedom
Consistency and standards
Error prevention
Recognition rather than recall
Flexibility and efficiency of use
Aesthetic and minimalistic design
Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
Help and documentation

11. Usability Test Proposal Development
A heuristic evaluation can be conducted with a list of questions that you develop.
Ten recommended heuristics by Jakob Nielsen
Example set of questions
Develop at least 2-3 core questions per heuristic items and describe a brief rationale for the questions.
For the usability test report, each team member needs to do the heuristic evaluation with the questions in the proposal. Summarize and briefly analyze the evaluation results, with suggestions for improvement.

12. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
1: Visibility of system status.

13. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
1: Visibility of system status.
Rationale:
To make sure that users understand what information exists in the collection and how to find the information.
Question examples
When searching, is it clear where you are in the digital library?
How clearly does the web site describe the contents of the collection?
Does the formatting and organization of the web site help you understand where you are in the collection?

14. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
2: Match between the system and the real world

15. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
2: Match between the system and the real world
Rationale
The digital library should have clear language and follow web site conventions.
Question examples
Are the terms used throughout the digital library easy to understand?
Is it clear when icons are links?
Is it clear what the search and browse options are?

16. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample 1
3: User Control and Freedom
   

17. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
3: User Control and Freedom
Rationale
The digital library web site should make it easy for users to return to the home page and to find pages within the site.
Question examples
Can users easily move through search results?
The navigation was clearly visible. Users could easily find the ‘back’ and ‘home’ buttons.

18. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
4. Consistency and Standards

19. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
4. Consistency and Standards
Rationale: Users should be able to clearly understand the format of the digital library, and metadata terminology should be understandable and consistent throughout.
Question examples
I felt the format was consistent throughout the digital library.  
I felt the cataloging terms made sense and were consistent.    
Does the site comply with conventions (such as how links look)?

20. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
5. Error prevention

21. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
5. Error prevention
Rationale
To prevent users from encountering errors or problems.
Question examples
Does the web site adequately prevent problems?
When no search results are found, the interface presents the user with different browsing options.
The search engine automatically searches across all metadata fields for results without the user needing to specify a field.

22. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
6. Recognition rather than recall

23. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
6. Recognition rather than recall
Rationale
Providing users with additional browsing techniques ensures successful searching. Automatically searching all metadata fields and tags makes it easier for users to find what they are looking for.
The web site should not require users to remember information from previous pages to perform tasks.
Question examples
The digital library title is displayed at the top of every page within the collection.
A menu or list is provided on each page highlighting the possible options available to users

24. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
7. Flexibility and Efficiency of Use

25. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
7. Flexibility and Efficiency of Use
Rationale
Advanced search options allow users to search specific fields for the results they need. Ease of searching and browsing methods ensures users will visit more than once.
Question examples
The digital library allows a number of advanced search options.
Users can easily browse the collections .
Images can be enlarged for viewing.

26. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
8. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design

27. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
8. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design
Rationale
The user interface design is one of the most important aspects of a digital library. Users should be able to view readable text and relevant information so that their research experience is faster and easier.
Question examples
The digital library has a simple and clean design.
The digital library uses readable fonts in colors that are easy read for all users.

28. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
9. Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, and Recover from Errors

29. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
9. Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, and Recover from Errors
Rationale
is important to keep the user informed when no items can be located so that they can take advantage of other search options.
Question examples
The search results indicate when no results are found.
A message is displayed when a collection contains no items.

30. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
10. Help and Documentation

31. Heuristic Evaluation Question Sample
10. Help and Documentation
Rationale
Providing users contact information allows opportunities for feedback from viewers. This feedback can provide excellent suggestions for increasing viewer numbers. Asking users for feedback is an important way to update our digital library and to repair or fix any errors that are reported.
Question examples
A contact address is displayed in the footer of each page for users to send feedback to staff.
The digital library provides some search suggestions for users.

32. Heuristic Evaluation Measures
Likert Scales
Agreement (5 points)
Strongly Agree 5
Agree 4
Neutral 3
Disagree 2
Strongly Disagree 1
Frequency (5 points)
Very frequently 5 1
Occasionally 4 2
Rarely 3
Very rarely
Never

33. User Needs User analysis Scope/definition of user group
User characteristics
Demographic information
Knowledge and experience
Computer/IT experience or knowledge
Level of experience with the task
Psychological characteristics

34. Developing User Personas
Categorizing user types
e.g., Primary, Secondary, and Others
Annotating user characteristics according to the categories
Interviewing with real users
Specifying User Tasks
Understanding typical DL tasks

35. Group Activity

36. Developing User Personas
Identify who are the primary users of your DL (and secondary users, if appropriate).
Develop one personas per type of users (e.g., a novice user and an advanced user).
A persona may includes
Name, age
Personal information, including family and home life
Computer proficiency and comfort level with using the Web
Pet peeves and technical frustrations
Personal and professional goals
Information-seeking habits and favorite resources
Motivation or “trigger” for using the digital library

37. Persona Development References
Cooper, A. (1999). The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High-Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore the Sanity, Indianapolis: Sams.
Head, A. J. (2003). Personas: setting the stage for building usable information sites. Online, 27(4),