Usability Report Cover Sheet

Transcription

1 Usability Reprt Cver Sheet Prject Overall Prject: MLibrary Website Prject Title: Quick Links Guerilla Test Cmmittee & Members Usability Grup: Suzanne Chapman (chair), Shevn Desai, Kat Hagedrn, Julie Piacentine, Ken Varnum Usability Task Frce: Mike Creech (stakehlder), Kat Hagedrn (c-cnvener), Gillian Mayman, Devn Persing, Ken Varnum (c-cnvener), Valerie Waldrn, Susan Wrtman Reprt Inf Reprt Authr(s): Val Waldrn and Sue Wrtman Cntact Infrmatin: Reprt Date: January 2010 Online Reprt Lcatin University f Michigan MLibrary ul-usability@umich.edu page 1/11 This wrk is available under a Creative Cmmns Attributin Nn-Cmmercial 3.0 License. The Regents f the University f Michigan, 2010.

2 Usability Reprt Intrductin...2 Test Descriptin & Methdlgy...3 Test Descriptin...3 Methdlgy...3 Results & Recmmendatins...4 Lessns Learned...5 Appendix 1: Test Script...6 Appendix 2: Respnses...8 Intrductin The MLibrary main gateway page includes a grup f links n the bttm (fter) f each page called Quick Links. These links are meant t prvide cnvenient access t sme f the mst frequently used and/r mst requested links related t bth library and university business. The gals f this test were t determine if: The labels fr bth the grup and each link within the grup were clear and accurately described where users expected t g The links included in this gruping were what users want and need * This reprt describes a usability assessment perfrmed by the MLibrary Usability Grup and Task Frce. Usability assessment is a part f the iterative design prcess used t develp new systems and services at MLibrary. This reprt describes ne test in a series f tests perfrmed at ne pint in the iterative design prcess. Sample sizes are small and findings serve nly as clues t help guide decisins. Implementatin f any recmmendatins shuld take these limitatins int accunt. University f Michigan MLibrary ul-usability@umich.edu page 2/11

3 Test Descriptin & Methdlgy Test Descriptin Initially, participants were asked t name which web links they used mst frequently. Participants were then shwn a screensht f the MLibrary website fter with the Quick Links sectin highlighted and the title f this grup f links remved. They were asked t think f a name fr this list f links and t describe where they wuld expect each link within the grup t lead. After answering these questins, the participants were prvided with a descriptin f where each link leads and asked if he/she culd ffer a clearer label fr any f the individual links. The Quick Links screen at the bttm f the main gateway page, as shwn t the users: Finally, the tester tk the screensht away frm the participant s that he/she culd nt see the current list f links, and asked what links they wuld mst like t see in a gruping f links like this ne. Methdlgy Guerilla Test Number f participants: 14 individuals, as well as 2 grups f 3 individuals each that prvided answers reached by cnsensus. Status f participants: 2 PhD students, 2 graduate students, 10 undergraduate students, and 2 grups f 3 undergraduate students each (grup respnses are treated as a single respnse, and are nted as grup in Appendix 2). University f Michigan MLibrary ul-usability@umich.edu page 3/11

4 Individuals were recruited fr the test n the first and secnd flr f the Shapir Undergraduate Library N incentives were ffered The test tk apprximately 5 minutes Results & Recmmendatins 1. Grup title Quick Links shuld remain unchanged The current gruping title appears brad enugh t cver links utside f the Library s dmain as well as Library links. Testing shwed little cnfusin abut this title s it is recmmended that the title Quick Links remains unchanged. 2. Rename My Accunt t My Library Accunt Three participants assumed bth My Accunt and Wlverine Access wuld take them t essentially the same lcatin. By changing the link label t My Library Accunt, this might create less cnfusin fr them. 3. Add a link t web in Quick Links Nine participants respnded at the beginning f the test that they wanted a link t web (Questin 2), and six students respnded at the end f the test that they wanted a link t web (Questin 6). While 10 ut f 15 f these respnses culd be cnstrued as a link t any client, we wuld recmmend that it be a link t the University f Michigan web service ( 4. Change EJurnals t either Online Jurnals r Online Jurnal Titles Seven participants were nt able t tell where EJurnals led. T distinguish this link frm databases, the recmmendatin wuld be t rename it. Frm discussins within the Usability Task Frce, we recmmend that stakehlders cnsider adding Online t the label and remving the E. Hwever, due t the cmplexity f renaming the service (e.g., evaluating the page title fr the current EJurnals sub-site), mre usability testing is als recmmended in rder t discver a better name fr the service. 5. Outages link shuld be remved frm Quick Links The label Outages was cnfusing t eleven participants tested, but n intuitive r succinct alternative names were suggested. Ideally, infrmatin n technical prblems cvered by the current utages link wuld be placed mre cntextually, within the EJurnal listings. This slutin is currently nt pssible in the shrt term. Ggle Analytics usage statistics shw that the Outages link has relatively lw usage s the recmmendatin wuld be t remve the Outages link frm the hme page and prvide it instead n the main ejurnal pages. 6. Keep Wlverine Access, CTls and Library Hurs There was n cnfusin n where Wlverine Access, CTls and Library Hurs links wuld take users, and all but three f thse tested felt that these links are helpful and shuld be included in a grup f links n the library hme page. University f Michigan MLibrary ul-usability@umich.edu page 4/11

5 Lessns Learned Participants seemed t enjy being interviewed and didn t expect r need an incentive fr the 5 minutes r s required t cmplete the test. Participants were intentinally shwn a screensht f nly the Quick Links prtin f the library hme page in rder t remve frm view ther prtins f the website that might influence their respnses. Hwever, the partial screensht f the website may have created unnecessary cnfusin fr participants as they attempted t figure ut exactly what the Quick Links wuld be used fr n the web page. Therefre, the grup felt that it wuld be better t shw the grup f links within the larger cntext f the entire web page in rder t prvide them with better cntext. The initial questin, Which web links d yu need t access mst?, was t general and participants had n cntext fr answering it, since it was at the beginning f the interview. A better questin wuld include the phrase, links yu need t access when ding hmewrk r when perfrming research, r smething similar. University f Michigan MLibrary ul-usability@umich.edu page 5/11

6 Appendix 1: Test Script Hi, culd yu spare abut 5 minutes t give us yur pinin? [If they answer N:] N prblem. Thanks fr yur time. [If they answer Yes:] 1. Thanks a lt. My name is and I'm a librarian here at the University. My clleague here will take sme ntes as we talk. We're ging t ask yu sme questins abut the links n the Library website. But first, what is yur status at the university? [Write it dwn.] 2. Thank yu. S ur first questin fr yu is: Which web links d yu need t access the mst? [Scribble, scribble.] Okay, great. Nw we re ging t shw yu a screensht f a sectin f the library hmepage. [Shw them a screensht with the title Quick Links blanked ut.] 3. Based n the links that yu see here, what wuld yu call this gruping f links? [Nte their answer.] 4. OK. And what d each f these link labels mean t yu? Where d yu think they lead? My Accunt: EJurnals: Library Hurs: Outages: CTls: Wlverine Access: Okay. Nw t make sure we re n the same page, I m ging t quickly describe t yu where each f them actually leads: My Accunt: The prtin f the library catalg in which yu can see yur checked ut items, renew them, see what yu have n hld, etc. EJurnals: Lets yu brwse thrugh a list f jurnals that the library subscribes t that are accessible nline. Library Hurs: Shws yu when we re pen. Outages: Gives yu a list f current nline prblems and issues. CTls: Takes yu t the prtal that cntains curse sites and prject sites. University f Michigan MLibrary ul-usability@umich.edu page 6/11

7 Wlverine Access: Takes yu t the university s administrative website. 5. Nw that yu have a gd idea f where these links lead, can yu think f a clearer label fr any f the individual links? [Nte any respnse.] 6. Great, thanks. [Take away the screensht.] And ne last questin: Nw that we've described the functin f each link, which links wuld yu mst like t see in this gruping? [Write dwn their answer.] Thanks s much fr yur time. We really appreciate it. Have a great day! University f Michigan MLibrary ul-usability@umich.edu page 7/11

8 Appendix 2: Respnses Status f participants: 2 PhD students, 2 graduate students, 10 undergraduate students, and 2 grups f 3 undergraduate students each (grup respnses are treated as a single respnse, and are nted as grup ) 1. Which web links d yu need t access the mst? Web Mail (2) (5 individual, 2 grup respnses) CTls (3 individual, 2 grup respnses) Library Catalg Ask a Librarian MFile (grup respnse) Wlverine Access (2 individual, 2 grup respnses) Databases (2) EJurnals (thse specific t my subject) Online Jurnals Ggle (4) Gmail (2) Ggle reader (2) Craig s list Scial wrk library hmepage Ggle maps Blgger Facebk (4 individual, 1 grup respnse) Chinese Facebk BBC Wrld New Yrk Times (2) ABC News ESPN Weather Wikipedia Yah Answers 2. What wuld yu call this gruping f links? "My Library" "MLibrary" "Surces" "University Links" "Menu" "Optins" "Imprtant Links" "Cmmnly Accessed Links" "Links" (2 individual, 1 grup respnse) "Helpful Links" (grup respnse) "Useful Links" "Resurces" (2) "Michigan Links" r "University f Michigan Links" University f Michigan MLibrary ul-usability@umich.edu page 8/11

9 "Quick Links" (3) "Cmmn Links" (1 individual, 1 grup respnse) "Favrites" (grup respnse) "Frequently Visited Sites" (grup respnse) Library/University Links" 3. What d each f these link labels mean t yu? Where d yu think they lead? My Accunt a. t see what bks yu have checked ut, recrds related t the library b. accunt infrmatin (2) c. lgin, library bks brrwed, library accunt d. My Accunt & Wlverine Access seem t be the same links e. bks checked ut, statuses (2) f. stuff that s checked ut (grup respnse) g. Umich ID h.??? i. bks n reserve r checked ut j. yur individual library accunt: uniqname, Refwrks, etc. (grup respnse) k. library accunt (2) l. Michigan / University f Michigan links m. Yur Wlverine Access accunt EJurnals a. databases b. where yu wuld search fr papers c. links t nline jurnals d. dn t knw (4 individual, 1 grup respnse) e. prfessinal jurnals that the library has f. blgs g. blg r smething h. link t databases i. jurnals readable nline (grup respnse) j. nline readings k. electrnic jurnals l. database f surces Library Hurs a. every library and their hurs b. t check library hurs c. when the library is pen (3) d. when library is pen, hliday/break hurs e. all libraries (grup respnse) f. library hurs (3) g. hurs (2) h. when pen i. times libraries are pen (grup respnse) j. hurs library is pen k. hurs pen University f Michigan MLibrary ul-usability@umich.edu page 9/11

10 Outages a. dn't knw (8 individual, 1 grup respnse) b. current campus prblems c. when smething is dwn, interface is changing d. pwer utages which libraries (grup respnse) e. what happens when we have utages f. utages f the site g. bks that ran ut h. maybe like my accunt CTls a. CTls curse material b. CTls accunt c. CTls interface d. CTls (2 individual, 1 grup respnse) e. bvius (6 individual, 1 grup respnse) f. CTls fr classes g. persnal curse lists and stuff h. curses I m in, jurnal articles fr curses Wlverine Access a. Wlverine Access fr curse registratin, etc. b. Anther way t get t Wlverine Access c. t the Wlverine Access lg in d. Wlverine Access university accunt e. Obvius (7 individual, 1 grup respnse) f. Wlverine Access (2 individual, 1 grup respnse) g. Persnal Umich accunt 4. Nw that yu have a gd idea f where these links lead, can yu think f a clearer label fr any f the individual links? My Accunt a. My Library Accunt b. My Library Accunt s it desn t get mixed up with Wlverine Access accunt c. change t smething else EJurnals a. Library subscribed ejurnals (grup respnse) b. UM subscriptins (grup respnse) c. Recent jurnals f interest (grup respnse) d. Electrnic Jurnals r Online Jurnals e. Subscriptins f. change t smething else Library Hurs n alternative labels ffered Outages University f Michigan MLibrary ul-usability@umich.edu page 10/11

11 a. utages culd be better current technical prblems b. Library bulletin c. Library updates/annuncements d. change t smething better e. Online prblems (grup respnse) f. Services that need repair g. What we re fixing / wrking n (grup respnse) CTls n alternative labels ffered Wlverine Access a. change Wlverine Access t Student Business r My Wlverine Accunt r My Umich Accunt 5. Nw that we've described the functin f each link, which links wuld yu mst like t see in this gruping? Wuld like t see: a. (3) b. CTls (4 individual, 2 grup respnses) c. Wlverine Access (3 individual, 2 grup respnses) d. library Accunt e. My Accunt (1 individual, 2 grup respnses) f. library hurs (2 individual, 1 grup respnse) g. database Link [search tls?] h. search bx fr the library r university wide i. University f Michigan Directry j. library catalg k. webmail (3) l. MFile (grup respnse) m. MPrint (grup respnse) n. Ask a Librarian. EJurnals Leave these ut: a. Outages - put smewhere else (grup respnse) b. Outages - take ut f link list, just pst utages n main page. c. CTls (easy enugh t get there) d. Wlverine Access (easy enugh t get there) (2) e. Hurs University f Michigan MLibrary ul-usability@umich.edu page 11/11