Website Redesign: User Testing and Web 2.0

Website Redesign: User Testing and Web 2.0

Bennett Claire Ponsford - Digital Services Librarian Christina H. Gola - Coordinator of Undergraduate

Instruction and Outreach

Internet LibrarianOctober 29, 2007

Session C104Inspiration for Your Library Redesign

Why are We Redesigning?

Background

Main library and 6 branches, 3 catalogs, 900+ databases, all usual library services but not well integrated

Discontent expressed with current default search

Branch libraries need for their own homepages to meet special needs

Questions to Ask Users

How do users want to search? What type of items are users searching for? How do they discover new resources?

What to do with subject and class guides? Audience and function questions Format, location, and terminology

What Web 2.0 features do users want?

Methodology: Phases

1. Initial surveys2. Discussion forums 3. Focus groups4. Individual interviews5. Create functional specifications6. Task based testing of prototypes7. Modify prototypes and re-test, etc.

Methodology: Recruiting

Traditional Blanket campus emails Advertising in student newspaper Announcements in classes

New tools Facebook group Blog Discussion forum

Results: First Survey Undergraduates vs. Grad. Students/Faculty

Both primarily looking for our stuff Searching differences Need for information about the library Interaction with the libraries' website

Web 2.0 issues Limited interest in tagging Limited faculty interest in user-generated content Traditional preferences for communicating with the

libraries

Results: Second Survey

Confirmed summer’s results on use of the website

Default search Want books or everything, but last searched

for articles What to keep on home page

Emphasis on simplifying the home page No consensus on what that means

Results: Bulletin Board

Intense hatred of our pop-up windows Frustration

Want to search, click on fulltext Not interested in all the options we give them

Confusion Often can’t even describe where they got lost

Results: Focus Groups

Google Scholar Integrate Systems (catalogs, edocs, etc) Discovery of databases Subject and Class Guides

Audience different than previously assumed Interdisciplinary issues Not a library jargon issue -- location & format

issues

Results: Focus Groups

Need more ways to allow self-discovery and shared knowledge

Visual & “sexy” is good Use of Web 2.0 tools

Undergrads and Humanities mentioned potential uses for Wikis

Use of RSS – glass half full or half empty? Personalization features

Did 2.0 Work for Recruiting?

Email was best method Web 2.0 tools (Facebook, blog, discussion

forum) did not help much Why?

Web 2.0 in Academic Libraries

How far should we go? Academic standard vs. Web 2.0 How much education do we provide?

Recommendations

Help them find our stuff and then get out of the way

Reaffirmed tradition design rules Let the user control the interface Integrate our systems Better personalization options

Determine user groups needs before using Web 2.0 tools on website

Next Steps

Undergraduate focus groups One-on-one interviews with faculty Revisiting information architecture Prototype testing Article to come

Questions?

Bennett Ponsford – [email protected] H. Gola – [email protected]

Thank you!