Website Usability for Everybody

Ellie Dworak 1:30-2:45

• Can people do what they need to do quickly and without frustration on your website?
• Few different methods:
• Heuristic evaluation (evaluation checklist)
• Can do a google calendar plug in to feed the library hours to the front page
• it's important to stay focused and think about why and how each decision you make will get patrons what they need
• Cognitive walkthrough: reviewers complete tasks and ask themselves questions about how easy it is to meet their needs (counting clicks, etc.)
• top tier information should be reachable w/in three clicks
• think aloud protocol (aka traditional usability testing) observing people while they're doing things on your website and asking them to talk about why they're doing what they're doing
• just b/c people say they like one form of a website better doesn't actually mean they'll find it more useful; it's important to always test and observe to avoid this
• according to nielsen, you likely won't get any new information after you test three people
• try printing screenshots to give testees to ask them about how they'll complete tasks or where they will click- paper based testing saves time and can be done in groups or at many different places; it makes repeat testing much easier
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