User‐centred Library Web sites: Usability Evaluation Methods

Citation

Weddell, S. (2009), "User‐centred Library Web sites: Usability Evaluation Methods", Library Management, Vol. 30 No. 4/5, pp. 359-361. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120910958101

Recently I reviewed a book on web accessibility which has lit a flame of interest in the area of web design, so when the chance came up to review another title relating to user‐centred library web sites I put my hand up.

Before starting the review I decided to randomly choose a sample of library web sites across all types of libraries. Of the ten I chose, the ones that appealed the most, had clarity of purpose, were vibrant, exciting and easy to use were those of public libraries. I wonder why? Those that had the least appeal were those of academic libraries. Could it be that public libraries are perhaps better than academic libraries in involving their users in the process of web design? Interestingly I checked the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries web site where the author is a human factors researcher. The most notable feature of the web site is a section telling users that it is time for a new web site and giving options to check out the old one and make suggestions …

The author has set out the book logically with the first chapter being devoted to the concept of user‐centred design, chapters two through four dealing with the basics of preliminary planning and development; user needs analysis; and actual web site design – the last chapters dealing with usability testing and the communication of findings.

The concept of user‐centred design of web sites is according to the author, ease of use of a web site based on a users' perception and is a comparatively new approach to web site design. It should be noted that while the focus in this book is on college and university web sites the same principles apply to the development of web sites in general. Chapter one provides an introduction to user‐centred design and covers such areas as the changing needs of users, advice on how libraries can create user‐centred web sites and conducting usability testing to detect problems and issues. It is an excellent introduction and is well set out using bullet points to stress important areas.

Getting started is the focus of the second chapter and all the preliminary steps that should be taken are covered – assembling a development team, defining the project requirements, and recruiting participants. The use of a screening questionnaire is suggested when recruiting participants and an example is included in the Appendix.

User needs analysis is the title of the third chapter and by far the largest chapter in the book. It is an important chapter and at the heart of designing a user‐centred system – the web site and interface design will be based on information gleaned from the user needs analysis. The objective of a user‐needs analysis according to the author is to:

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  identify the end‐users' goals for the web site;

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  define the end‐users' characteristics and expectations;

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  determine what functionality will be included;

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  set usability objectives; and

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  determine how the web site will operate.

The first stage involves a task analysis and this area is well covered with simple guidelines and a look at the advantages and disadvantages of using this methodology. The use of surveys and the development of questionnaires are also covered; the section on questionnaire design is excellent as is the rest of the chapter, which looks at using interviews and focus groups. The information in this chapter would be useful for anyone wanting to carry out user needs analysis for any type of service.

Designing a user‐centred web site requires user participation and this chapter, Chapter four, outlines several participatory design methods that can be used – affinity diagramming; card sorting; and prototyping. Each method is set out in logical order beginning with a description of the method; followed by the objective, the participants required; time required; materials needed; reporting results; and the advantages and disadvantages of the method. Tables provide examples.

Chapters five and six deal with usability, usability inspection methods and usability testing of the web site. The main objective with usability inspection is to find inconsistencies in the web interface. Two common methods of usability inspection are described in Chapter five, heuristic evaluation and cognitive walkthroughs and as for the previous chapter, each method is clearly explained.

In Chapter six the author stresses the importance of:

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  determining what will be tested and writing “task scenarios” (descriptions of typical situations) and associated tasks; and

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  deciding what user behaviour you will focus on when carrying out the testing and what data you will collect and how that data will be analysed

Examples of task scenarios and post‐test questionnaires are included in tables throughout the chapter. The importance of “think aloud protocols” a commonly used method of usability testing where participants are observed and recorded as they complete assigned tasks is also discussed.

The final chapter is very short and deals with ways of communicating the results of the testing which will vary according to who you need to report findings to, how much time you have and the type of evaluation method that was used. The advantages and disadvantages of written reports, formal and informal; and presentations, formal and informal are discussed.

Overall I think this practical guide is a must for any library wanting to create or update their library web sites and improve their users' access to information. It is easy to read because each chapter follows the same basic layout. There are some minor irritations, such as adding the examples related to some chapters in the Appendix and the provision of bibliographical references at the end of each chapter would be more useful than in the Appendix. It would also have been useful to include some graphical examples (screen shots) of web sites developed using the evaluation methods described, perhaps illustrating the design before testing and the changes made after testing. The book is expensive but that should not influence a library's decision to purchase, in my view, the value of the content outweighs the cost.