2000 OCLC SiteSearch User Meeting

Case Study: Interface Design and Usability Testing

Jeff Penka, OCLC

Scenario

There you are sitting in your office minding your own business.

Ding! "You have mail!"

You open the message to discover your talents with technical material have made you the perfect addition to the new committee in charge of creating the newest Web-based application for your patrons. Your responsibilities include implementing an as yet defined system to meet all library users' needs. After you catch your breath, you ask yourself, "Where do I start?"

This is the session for you. Start with the users and design your system around their tasks, feedback, and needs. Use the processes defined in this session to help you create the best solution for your users and your institution's needs.

Materials

Below you will find the materials used in the session. View the materials in the left column directly by selecting the appropriate link. You will find the lists generated by the session group describing the audiences served, possible development partners, system development constraints, and tasks/issues your development effort may have to address.

Presentation Materials		Lists Generated by Group Discussion
PowerPoint Presentation View the full presentation used in the session. Supported browsers include: Netscape 3.0+ Microsoft Internet Explorer 4+ Usability Design Templates View HTML versions of: User Profile Task Analysis Scenario Analysis Testing Checklist Heuristics Used in OCLC Heuristic Evaluations Looking for a good starting point or something to do before you conduct a test? Heuristic evaluation is a method for quick, cheap, and easy evaluation of a user interface design. Recommended References and Resources Check out some useful books and web sites on usable interface design, development, and testing. OCLC Usability Lab helps staff learn more about users article Article from OCLC newsletter describing how OCLC's usability lab works, what the facilitities are like, and how it is used in the development of products at OCLC.		Development Partners • Selected User Base • Reference Librarians • OCLC Staff • Everyday people off the street • Board Members - all ages • Rural librarians/patrons • Data Providers • Students/Faculty/Staff • Developers • Visually-impared users • Varying levels of technological literacy • Subject specialists • English as a second language/other language Tasks/Issues to Address • Confusion about what indexes are and what they can and can't do (Keyword vs. Subject) • Printing (how to and limitations) • Users get lost. They don't know where they are. • Don't know how to enter a search (syntax) • Resource selection - don't know the content of the specific resources (e.g. full text) • Not reading the screen - doesn't mean they won't, but design should support it • Navigational problems with frames usage. • Scrolling problems • Can't find something if it isn't immediately there • "Don't use help" • Unable to understand errors vs. system failure	Audiences • Academic Researchers • Personal Health Info • K-5, 6-12 (school children) • Genealogical Research • People who have never touched a mouse • Technological Experts • Various levels of technological/verbal literacy Audiences' Expectations • Easy to find what I am looking for • "Intuititive" • Similar to things I am familiar with • Works for me System Constraints • Monitor Resolution • Browsers (what level do you need to support?) • Dial-in access • Language(s) supported • Color considerations

See Also

2000 SiteSearch User Meeting Agenda
2000 SiteSearch User Meeting Attendees
2000 SiteSearch User Meeting Training