Web Site: Interface Design Web Content Management

1. Web Site: Interface Design Web Content Management Nanjing University June/July Holly YuCalifornia State University, Los Angeles

2. Topics Covered • To gain a basic understanding of a user centered web design • Needs for a user friendly Web design • CSULA University Library Web redesign project • Web content management

3. Material Used • Detlor, Brian; Lewis, Vivian. 2006. Academic Library Web Sites: Current Practice and Future Directions. Journal of Academic Librarianship, vol. 32, No. 3, P. 251-258. • Yu, Holly, 2005. Methods and Tools for Managing Library Web Content. Content and Workflow Management for Library Web Sites: Case Studies, edited by Holly Yu. Information Science Publishing. • Regatli, Johan, 2005. Methods and Tools for Managing Library Web Content. Content and Workflow Management for Library Web Sites: Case Studies, edited by Holly Yu. Information Science Publishing.

4. Needs for a User Friendly Web Interface • Historically, college and university libraries are the natural destination for students, faculty, staff, and researchers seeking information. • Academic libraries serve as the repository for published information as well as the intermediary for acquiring material from the outside world. • Libraries face stiff competition from search engines like Google and Ask. These for-profit players have invested significantly in their front-end screens and marketing strategies, and can serve up quick bites of information the way users want—fast and easy. • Google's recent forays into scholarly content and mass digitization have blurred the already murky distinctions between libraries and commercial services even further—sending ripples of panic throughout the profession.

5. Solutions—Robust Library Web Sites • How should academic libraries respond? We suggest with robust library Web sites. • These user-centered Web-based interfaces can: • provide patrons with access to online catalogs, subscribed resources, and other electronic content; • potentially create virtual environments which enable patrons to personalize the selection and presentation of these collections; • channel the delivery of value-added services • engage in two-way communication with library staff and, in some cases, to even collaborate with other library users.

6. Current Trends in Web Site Redesign • Robust library Web sites can function as portals or gateways to an integrated and varied collection of information resources and as sophisticated guidance systems which support users across a wide spectrum of information seeking behaviors. • Robust library Web sites can include • broadcast search tools • electronic reference services (e.g., Ask A Librarian) • personalization features (e.g., customized home pages, virtual bookshelves) • enriched content (e.g., author biographies, book reviews, tables of content, book covers) • virtual communities support

7. Current Trends in Web Site Redesign • Package Information Content and Services in Ways that Meet User Needs • Make Information Seeking the Central Focus of Library Web Site Interface Design • Invest More Resources into Interface Design • Support Information Use, Not Just Information Access • Increased Emphasis on Users and Services

8. Package Information Content and Services • Librarians are encouraged to scrutinize and test their understanding of what students (learners), teachers, and researchers actually do with library resources and then to build the Web site around those central tasks—rather than trying to base design on current administrative structures, resource formats, and fancy interfaces.

9. Make Information Seeking the Central Focus • Library Web sites should focus attention on information seeking activities rather than administrative information about the library itself. • Search functions should be positioned where users will find them. • Consider prominent placement on the home page, possibly up top or in open white space. • Work towards bringing all search facilities, including non-library managed search facilities like Google Scholar, into one integrated search tool. • As a first measure, ensure that users can perform both a direct catalog search and a search of the library Web site from the home page. • To reduce clutter, consider using a drop down menu to allow users to select their search source file or use radio buttons for selection. • Use meaningful search descriptors so users know what source files (the catalog, the Web pages, etc.) are being searched.

10. University Library Web Redesign Project We began our site redesign project by: • Setting goals and priorities for the project • Conducting usability studies Initial goals included: • Streamlining content, structure, and layout • Giving the site a new look and feel ― making the site more intuitive, aesthetically appealing, in-tune with the University’s new web site design • Utilizing new techniques and technology for displaying content (cascading menu and database-driven pages) to improve accuracy/currency and simplify maintenance

11. Why Redesign? Difficult to navigate • Developed over many years • No navigational structure ~ developed ad hoc Hundreds of pages • Difficult to update • Redundant • Too many links • Too wordy • Inconsistent style Improve ADA compliance

12. Problem Statements Library Web • Does the Web site structure, content, and vocabulary used within the existing Library Web make it easy for users to locate information resources and library services? Article Databases • Does the layout and structure of the existing online database pages make it easy to choose and use appropriate resources?

13. Addressing User Needs • Can users find appropriate paths to their information using the links on the Library Web site? • Do users understand the terminology used on the Library Web site? • Does our perception of what is useful to students match the actual use pattern of our users? • Do users find the Library Web site a professional design? • Do users find the Library Web site an aesthetically pleasing?

14. Addressing Developer Concerns • What technologies can be used to make the Library Web site easier to maintain? • How can we streamline the Library Web development and maintenance workflow? • How can we consolidate structure redundancy in the Library Web? • How can we ensure that pages throughout the Library Web have a consistent look and feel?

15. Conducting Usability Studies

16. Why Usability Studies? Focus on user needs • Ask the user if the Web site is easy to use • Follow usage patterns rather than make assumptions

17. Usability Study Methods Pre-Test Surveys • Paper and web-based versions to enlist volunteers • Key issue―matching test users to campus demographics Formal Usability Testing • Users given common tasks • Observe users’ behavior (users speak aloud) • Open-ended debriefing questions at end of session • Four to six users enough to find major flaws • Tested both the old Web site and the new design

18. Recruiting Test Users(Initial Test of Old Site) • 200+ volunteers…still had difficulty filling slots • Planned to use four groups of five • Lower division, upper division, graduate, faculty/staff/other • Met demographic goals for college and gender • Did not meet demographic goals • Status, age, ethnicity, non-native English speakers • Offered inducements – copy cards and food • Grant funded

19. Testing Checklist • Purpose statements • Problem statements/questions • Human subject requirements? • Draft standard documentation – forms and scripts • Recruit users • Train observers / pre-test questions • Schedule sessions • Administer tests • Analyze data

20. Key Findings(Initial Test of Old Site) • Native vs. non-native English speakers • Non-native speakers had difficulty with 47.2% of answers • Native speakers had difficulty with 30.3% of answers • Experienced Internet users less critical of the site • Users ignored graphics and scanned text • No one used help screens • Faculty and staff were only group to claim to use them

21. More Key Findings(Initial Test of Old Site) Questions missed by at least half of users • What is the title of any newspaper article about Jack Lemmon? • Where can you find the magazine Sports Illustrated? • Where can you find information online showing how to do your research paper’s reference list in MLA format? • List three databases for finding journal articles in accounting.

22. Issues Identified by Usability Studies • Confusing language / terminology • Too busy / text heavy / link heavy • Lack of consistent look and feel on all pages • “What’s New” graphics viewed as ads and ignored • Needs a search feature • Database page layout was hard to use and time-consuming to update • Improve overall navigational structure

23. Improving ADA Accessibility

24. Cal State LA Students with Disabilities Fall Quarter 2001 Enrollment Total number: 461 • Communication 11 2.3% • Deaf 4 0.87% • Learning 186 40.35% • Mobility 163 35.36% • Visually Impaired/Blind 26 4.33% ―Data from the Campus Office for Students with Disabilities

25. Our Approach • Evaluated the Library Web for ADA Compliance • Bobby • JAWS • Encouraged by University and Library Administration • Asked Users to Help with Testing • Relied on Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) staff for their expertise regarding the needs and abilities of our students • Invited visually impaired or blind users who rely on screen readers to test our site

26. Examples of Errors Identified Acronyms • CSULA (sounds like Roman dictator Sula) Jargon • ILL (sounds like ill) Labels needed in forms

27. What We Learned • Include accessibility assessment in the planning and design process • Develop ADA compliance checklists or follow latest guidelines • Build strong partnerships with the disabled community • Rely on OSD expertise regarding students needs and abilities • Invite visually impaired users to test site • Utilize available accessibility tools

28. Usage Statistics Number of page "hits" Types of pages requested Top pages / top documents accessed Length of time users stayed on site or individual pages(stickiness)

29. Top Pages Viewed

30. Streamlining Content, Structure, and Layout

31. Why a New Structure? Address problems identified in usability study • Number of links • Use of “confusing” words Reduce redundant redundancy in content Prioritize information Provide multiple paths when appropriate

32. Issues Identified by Usability Studies • Confusing language / terminology • Too busy / text heavy / link heavy • Lack of consistent look and feel on all pages • “What’s New” graphics viewed as ads and ignored • Needs a search feature • Database page layout was hard to use and time-consuming to update • Improve overall navigational structure

33. Streamlining Content Category chart Card sorting Database driven approach

34. Old Library Web (Homepage) Library Catalogs Databases InformationLibrary hours                  Floor plans General overview Our personnel Liaison librarians Loan periods Library jobs More information available FormsInterlibrary loan Renew books Request a book Feedback Ask a librarian Instruction request Research ToolsGovernment info Local Library catalogs Other CSLA resources Internet Search engines Recommended Web sites Internet student help Style & writing Web sites Pharos-CSU resources Recommended reading HelpGuides / Handouts Tutorials Tours Database workshops Thesis workshops Library Instruction Information competence What's New

35. Old Library Web Homepage Looks like ads Too many links

36. Objectives • Re-categorize content / links on homepage and reduce the number of links • Integrate a searching capability by implementing a search engine, and FAQs • Provide a consistent navigational structure • Use database-driven pages to manage 140+ online resources • Implement style sheets and templates for easy maintenance and updating • Reduce content redundancy • Remove library jargon, and simplify terminology

37. New Library Web Homepage Menu

38. The Design Phase

39. Issues Identified by Usability Studies • Confusing language / terminology • Too busy / text heavy / link heavy • Lack of consistent look and feel on all pages • “What’s New” graphics viewed as ads and ignored • Needs a search feature • Database page layout was hard to use and time-consuming to update • Improve overall navigational structure

40. Redesign Process Examined commercial & library web sites for design concepts, color schemes, navigational approaches, etc. Exchanged URLs and ideas ― lots of “virtual” brainstorming! Design sub-group created numerous mock-ups

41. Examine Other Web Sites

42. Examine Other Library Web Sites

43. And so we developed mockups…

44. And more mockups…

45. And still more mockups… Somewhere around 80 in all…

46. Other Influences at Work Campus home page design and departmental design standards were about to change… Wanted basic look and feel of the Library home page to reflect new campus header and color scheme Encouraged to adopt a cascading menu (similar to new campus page) and include a multi-source search box

47. Current CSULA homepage New CSULA homepage

48. And so we went from…

49. To….

50. Secondary Level Page Template …