Usability workshop: the good, the bad and the ugly

Usability workshopThe good, the bad, and the ugly…

Mark Williams, JISC CollectionsTom Edmonds, OpenAthens

The problemDiscovery

route Location

VLE link (via Athens or Federation CDS)

Wayfless url

“google discovery”

Bespoke publisher page

Emailed link

App

On campus via VLE

Likely route Likely route Less l ikely on campus

Easy if signposted in VLE

SSO probably previously achieved

On Campus via BYOD

Possible route but far from certain

Possible route if using location wifi

Very l ikely route

Causes problems as user cant find login page.

OK to navigate but previous SSO unlikely

Likely route, but device needs account l inking for useful access. Easy on campus.

Off Campus via Mobile phone or ipad

VLE login less l ikely in ‘casual browsing’ situation

Unlikely to be used as user not already SSO.

Federation CDS (WAYF) diffi cult to navigate

Causes problems as user cant find login page.

Requires login journey to be progressive & not ‘bounce’ user to start

Likely route, but device needs account l inking for useful access. Diffi cult to do on mobile device off campus

Complex landscape for publishers

Ahhh…• Compromise between sales, marketing, user-journey• Native username & password• IP authentication• Multiple Federations• Different authentication protocols• Different interpretations of SAML Standard e.g.

ACOnet v SWITCHaai

Student issues

• Listen to them…

Student issues

Librarian issues

• Improved login processes on publisher websites and Improved authentication, access and discovery on mobile devices were given highest priority in 2013 JISC Collections HE /FE satisfaction survey

• Listen to them…

Examples (x6)

• Institutional menu/home page• Emailed a link from a mobile device• SP home page - poor site• SP home page – good site• Federated search• Google at home

Good home page

Good home page

Good home page

Good home page

Mobile Discovery

A mobile journey

One mobile screen - scrolled

Next mobile screens

Finally a “discovery screen"

We all do Discovery a little differently• Federation CDS• OpenAthens login• Own Publisher CDS• Scroll v type ahead

But where’s my article?

Seriously- where is it!• Maybe if I reopen my mobile

browser?

A pity because

• It’s a good article• Nicely formatted• Scales well in a variety of devices• Makes a mobile a great reading tool• IF user can get access!• Failed the cream egg test!

Direct access on publisher site - poor access

Direct access on publisher site

Direct access on publisher site

Direct access on publisher site

Direct access on publisher site

Direct access on publisher site

Direct access on publisher site

Selected OpenAthens FederationWhere’s my university?

Direct access on publisher site

Selected UK Access Management FederationHere’s my university!

Direct access on publisher site… select organisation

Helpful login text?Forgotten password link?Contact us link?

Direct access on publisher site… select organisation

More helpful login text…

Direct access on publisher site… select organisation

Helpful login page

Good home page – REFEDS advice

Login

Discovery

Convenience

Confidence

Federated search

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Federated search – commercial e-Library example

• Customers with different access rights – researchers in electro-magnetics v bio-technology group.

• Patron goes to e-Library homepage– Get a customized homepage with accessible links only.

• In selected databases each record has a link that leads to :

a) Full text (Open URL)

b) Web search (Google)

c) Document delivery with a completed request form

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Commercial e-Library

User has a choice of going into a• Journals A-Z search, or• Straight into service, such as:• Google scholar• PubMed• Web of Knowledge• Ilumin8, etc.

Regardless of search adopted (A-Z, or direct service), results displayed with an embedded & ‘customised’ link to take user to full text

Commercial e-Library

Internet search (Google)

Google from home

• Can the login page be found via Google?– “Bespoke” institutional urls cause problems if only

access is via:http://superpublisher.com/rummidgeuniversity – Use of Real estate – How many of your customers are

Pay per view?– Login looking like fishing?– Good WAYF!– Use of MDUI

Conclusions - references

• Login Demonstrator: http://discovery.refeds.org/

• NISO Guidelines:http://www.niso.org/workrooms/sso

• User Behaviour in Resource Discovery (UBiRD):http://www.jisc-collections.ac.uk/Reports/UBiRD/

• Mobile Authentication article: http://uksg.metapress.com/content/847lm21371722357/