Comments on: usability!

By: laura

laura — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:54:45 +0000

Yeah, all the library staff loved having the search box for the catalog right there. What I’m going to try next is having two search boxes–one with the WYLDCAT logo (ugly, but everyone seemed to be looking for it) that says “search for books, movies, etc.” and one general search box that will say “search this site.” And the WYLDCAT logo will be a link to the usual catalog page that they’re familiar with. We’ll see how it works.

By: heidi

heidi — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 13:09:02 +0000

“Almost everyone mistook the catalog search box in the sidebar for a search box for the site.”

Wow, really? One of my biggest pet peeves is when I can’t find how to get to the catalog from a library homepage, and I normally don’t like clicking any sort of “catalog” link to get there (extra clicks make me unhappy). I’ve always thought that it should be on the front page.

Now my usability brain is turning all around and thinking I might want to rethink that. Of course, with good labeling on your page you might be able to get away with it…

This is why usability fascinates me…even the experts think they know everything until the user comes in and proves them all wrong. It is not a job for everybody, but it’s one I enjoy!

By: laura

laura — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 14:56:41 +0000

Hermit Greg: You like to spy on people’s web browsing habits? You harbor a secret desire to be a librarian? You have found some really excellent drugs?

It really was a fascinating process–perhaps I managed to convey some of that.

By: hermit greg

hermit greg — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 13:14:20 +0000

What does it say about me that I was fascinated by this post?

By: laura

laura — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 03:11:40 +0000

You’re welcome! Actually, people still haven’t gotten their chocolates, because though I managed to remember my questions, my color-coded note-taking sheets, and at least one pair of sunglasses in case the rain let up, I managed to leave the chocolate in Meeteetse. I’ll get it up there next week, though – and as these aren’t college students, I’m hoping they can deal with delayed gratification.

Also, one of the testers was from the town in Illinois I lived in when before I came here. He lived a couple of blocks from my family and graduated from the same high school within a few years of my mom and uncle. Then he escaped and became a park ranger in Yellowstone.

By: Steve Lawson

Steve Lawson — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 22:23:40 +0000

Thanks for the details on this. Glad I could help encourage you to do it. I have done it as a solo observer and with another person. It’s better with two so one can talk to the volunteer, while the other writes everything down, but it’s certainly do-able with one. I also found that I would forget to write down time elapsed.

Usability testing like this can be very humbling and provides such a good perspective of how the stuff we build looks to the people who are supposed to be benefiting from it. I’m no expert in the field, but I’m glad I have done a little testing like this for what I can learn from our users.

BTW, we certainly did it low-tech here, but I did have some gift certificates for local restaurants or the campus bookstore or the like. It’s important to give them something for their time, but I’d certainly be happy with chocolate. I never did get that chocolate croissant I was going on about last month…