The Redesign Process
Last week we made a presentation to all staff on the Web site redesign process. The presentation outlined how we determined high level organizational goals for the project, the user-centered design process we're using, our user research, our current progress with wireframing and our next steps.
Usability Testing
Over the past 2 weeks, we conducted usability testing of 2 proposed search prototypes and of our proposed navigation menus for the Web site redesign. View the following presentation for a summary of our findings from both studies.
To test navigation menus, 32 users were recruited in situ in the D.H. Hill Library lobby and asked to complete 4 of 15 possible tasks using a working prototype of navigation menus only. Each task required the user to open a navigation menu and indicate which menu item they would select to look for the specified information. Facilitators recorded up to 4 of each user's menu selections, in order of selection. The facilitator's assessment of task difficulty was also recorded.
What we found in this type of testing is that the menus were learnable, and that users quickly developed mental models for the global navigation. The 'Find' menu resonated as a broader term than 'Search.' The 'Services' menu worked well as a catch-all. The 'About' menu was used as expected. And, the 'Research Help' menu was somewhat ambiguous for end-users.
There was general confusion about where to locate databases. This problem existed in the search testing as well.
For the search testing, we again recruited participants from the lobby of D.H. Hill Library. Twenty eight undergraduates, graduates and library staff participated in testing 2 separate search models.
Each participant was asked to complete 2 tasks using one of the search models; many participants volunteered to answer more than 2 questions. Facilitators documented what tab the participant initially selected for the task, the search term used, and the path the participant took to complete the task. Facilitators also coded how difficult it was for the participant to complete the task.
A total of 14 participants answered 46 questions about the first search model; 14 participants answered 38 questions about the second search model. Our goal in this testing was to determine whether users pre-select tabs in a tabbed search model before entering search terms. We also wanted to look at how users interact with tabbed or non-tabbed search results.
What we found from this type of testing is that while tabs generally resonated with end-users, there was confusion between the journals and articles tabs. This was consistent with the navigation testing, and highlights the general issues about how to present journal and database articles in libraries.
What are our next steps? We plan to fold in recommendations from the 2 studies into our homepage wireframes. We also plan to build 2 search prototypes in the context of the new homepage - one with a tabbed interface and one with a single search box with links to silos. We'll then conduct more usability testing on the working prototypes.
Give Us Your Feedback!
We need your feedback on our wireframe prototypes!
For the past several months, the Web site redesign team analyzed the information architecture of the current site, mined through usage statistics and interviewed undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty to determine a new layout and structure for the NCSU Libraries Web site.
Check out the resulting wireframes and sitemap.
As you're looking through the wireframes, keep in mind that they are blueprints, meant to convey layout and content; they do not have colors or images, and the fonts that are used in the wireframes are not the fonts we'll use in the final design. As you're glancing through them, also keep in mind the goals of the new homepage and the larger site:
- Streamline access to search functions and core user tasks
- Provide ways to contact librarians throughout the user experience
- Highlight core tools and provide paths to top tasks
- Promote the library through news & events messaging
- Promote new innovations in library technology and learning spaces
Give us your feedback on the wireframes by leaving a comment on the blog, providing a suggestion through our feedback widget (in the right column on this blog), or by emailing us at seteague@ncsu.edu.
We look forward to your comments!
The Redesign Process
The NCSU Libraries Web redesign team is using a user-centered, iterative design process for the 2010 redesign. What this means is that we focus our energies on the end-user throughout all phases of the project, constantly seeking feedback and iteratively updating our site per the feedback we receive.
In the user-centered design process, four phases make up the bulk of the work: discovery, architecture and design, development and implementation. Our goal in the discovery phase is to better understand our users and their motivations for coming to our Web site. In this phase, we'll identify exemplary sites; perform a content analysis of what exists on the current site; develop personas or archetypes of users using the Web site; specify user tasks and goals; and look at usage statistics for the current site.
In architecture and design, we take what we've learned about our users and begin to architect and layout the site specifics. We’ll develop navigation models and create low-fidelity prototypes. We'll use wireframes to communicate what the site structure will look like. From the wireframes, we'll create designs.
The architecture and design phase is very iterative in nature. Once we develop a wireframe or a design, we’ll elicit feedback both internally and externally. We'll use the feedback to refine our wireframe or design and ask for comments again. This process is repeated until we have a final deliverable.
During the development phase of the project, we'll actually build the Web site, including migrating content into the Drupal CMS platform. We expect that this process will be iterative as well, as we're planning to perform usability tests on the site once it is built. Feedback from usability tests and open sessions with external and internal users will inform the final stages of the project and help us solidify the design of our new Web site.
Once the site is launched, we plan to continue using user-centered, iterative methodologies to update the site. We'll conduct usage surveys, and studies about its ongoing use.
We look forward to your feedback about the process we're using. Feel free to drop us a line.
Exemplary Sites
For our upcoming Web site redesign we've been looking around at other Web sites for inspiration. In our search we've looked for sites with clean, fresh and modern designs. We’ve also been searching for sites with specific components we’d like to emulate, such as mega drop-downs and interesting, compelling implementations of search. To get a feel for the types of sites we’ve been finding, navigate over to our dropio site, where you can comment on the sites we've identified. Remember to check our dropio site periodically, as we plan to add snapshots throughout the Web redesign process.
We'd love to hear from you. What are you favorite sites? Have you come across a library site that you find exemplary? For our internal readers, our Web redesign Confluence site has an entry for exemplary sites. Check it out. We look forward to your feedback.
Welcome!
This spring and summer, the NCSU Libraries is launching a project to redesign its public Web site. A library-wide committee has been charged with helping to plan and design the new site. The goals of the redesign include creating a fresh, modern and welcoming site, with a clear personality brand for the library; streamlining homepage access to search functionality and core user tasks; creating a Web site that accommodates a dynamic, continually-updated online presence, with a clear emphasis on innovative library initiatives and offerings; and designing a Web site infrastructure that is flexible and nimble.
We’re taking a user-centered design approach to planning the redesign. Throughout this effort, we’ll post our processes and lessons-learned, as well as artifacts such as wireframes and design compositions for you to comment on.
In the coming weeks, be on the look out for posts from us asking for your feedback. We’ll need your help in determining how the new site will work to meet your needs. We look forward to hearing from you!