Bohyun Kim, Digital Access Librarian, &
Marissa Ball, Emerging Technologies Librarian, Florida International University

Why Usability?

• Good information cannot make up for bad design
• Give people what they want, not what you want:
  
  http://www.xkcd.com/773

Users don't...

• read content on a website
• want to learn how to use their website
• visit your site every day
• return to sites that have failed them

But they are always on the move - design your website like a billboard that would appeal to commuters, because that's all the time you have to direct their attention

Designers Usability means "fit for use"

• intuitive - you don't need to think about how to use a hammer
• easy to recover from a mistake
• conducive to users performing tasks
• no need to learn to use it

Usability is difficult for libraries because we offer so much with so many options

• but most of our information in separate silos
• much of the terminology is jargon and foreign to users
• information is segmented by departments that is confusing to patrons

What libraries get wrong

• pre-conceived notions of important
• lack of research on user behavior
• belief that design can change user behavior
• design based upon a committee - this is slow, design lacks unity, and represents insider opinion more than the users'
• writing is unsuited to the web

Common usability problems and examples

1. Clutter/noise

• promote all things - nothing stands out
• user have no idea where to start/focus
• information overload = stress

How to fix

• improve by taking things out rather than adding
• be aware of clutter creeping in
• users are happy to click "as long as"
  • it is mindless ("3 click rule" isn't true as long as clicking doesn't require effort or thought)
  • they know they are getting closer

2. Dated look

• lowers credibility of the site
• users suspect outdated content

How to fix

• replace old icons, images, typography
• update a CSS file to give a new look
• as long as the site architecture is sound, serves the same group, and has a clear task pathway that work, no need for redesign - make sure you know what work needs to be done

3. Too subtle design

• users scan web pages like a billboard while driving at 60mph
• subtly in web design often backfires
• good web design is different than good print design, because people do things differently

How to fix

• make visually clear what's most important, valuable, popular
• provide a clear visual hierarchy on the page
• break pages up into clearly defined areas

4. Unclear terms/Library jargon

• test your site with new users

How to fix

• replace all jargon with plain terms
• do now use the product name or vendor names
• use a short description if name is not clear

5. Redundant and unnecessary content

• redundant content creeps in as time goes by (welcome, introduction, etc )
• unnecessary content = small talk (users have no interest in small talk)
• answer users' questions, not yours
• serve content that users can grab and go

How to fix

• remove small talk and explanations by using descriptive names
• make a content inventory
• review content by category & purpose
• remove overlapping, redundant, unnecessary content

6. Bad writing

• rewrite a page to be half of its length
• then cut more!

How to fix

• use clear headings
• make paragraphs short
• start with the key points
• make content easy to scan

7. Design against convention

• the best ally of usability is convention
• anything that prompts a pause and thinking is bad
• surprise, confusion, agony over choice (when there is no distinguishable difference), stress

How to fix

• don't underestimate the value of convention
• be creative without sacrificing usability
• convention implies:
• obvious and predictable
• clear paths to goals

8. Unintuitive navigation

• is it an information architecture an issue?
• if so, use usability testing method to find out what navigation structure or organization of content makes sense to users

User testing - quick, cheap and easy

Profiling Methods

• find out who your users are
• focus groups, surveys, and analytics data can all help determine which users to focus on
• it's best to test in small groups - three tests with five users is better than a single test with 15 users
• you will learn who your users are, what they want, and how best to get it to them
• you should use more than one, and make them simple

Focus Groups and User Surveys

• best to conduct early one, because they gather background information and overall opinions and desires
• sessions last 1-2 hours, and work best when combined with other methods

Card Sorting

• put ideas on cards/post-its, and have users arrange them in a way that makes sense to them
• also helps correct terminology, because users need to understand the words on the cards
• sessions last 1-2 hours, can be done in groups or individually

Contextual Interviews and Intercepts

• based on observations of users in their environment
• ask questions, and be casual
• this is one of the best methods to use

Paper Prototyping

• easy, disposable, adaptable, affordable
• allow your users to be creative
• create screenshots of various screens of your site for users to interact with
• easy to generate lots of ideas, because people are more willing to scrap ideas on paper than delete
• files they have worked on

Posted under Uncategorized on Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011 at 3:10 pm, by Brian Herzog. Post and comments available via the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.