Extreme Makeover Website Edition

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Extreme Makeover Website Edition

• With a Collaborative Twist

Presented by Robert Hughes and Kitty Mackey for
Online Northwest 2008
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GRCP 210 Cannell Library

• GRCP 210 A class that covers interface design
  and web usability issues
• Needed opportunity to give students opportunities
  to do usability testing and iteration makeovers
• Cannell Library provided that opportunity

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Why the library worked well

• Long history of collaborating with the courses in
  the division
• Always something to address. Your web
  environments are constantly changing.

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Usability Testing Resources

• Theres the High End, lots of
• Usability with funding and dedicated resources
  from the CIC, Committee for Institutional
  Cooperation http//www.cic.uiuc.edu/groups/CIOTech
  ForumPlanningCommittee/archive/ConferencePresentat
  ion/TechForum2005/Topics/Web20Usability20Video2
  01.mpg
• Then theres the Real World

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Usability Testing Our Model

• Krugs book is a down to earth, barebones guide
  to web usability
• Chapter 9 Usability Testing on 10 cents a day

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Krug on Usability Testing

• Testing one user is 100 better than testing
  none.
• The point of testing is not to prove or
  disprove. Its to inform your judgement

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Testing with your Resources

• Lost our lease,
• going-out-of- business sale
• Usability testing
• Use whats available
• Who is available
• A desk, a person and a chair will work out fine

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Our Usability Lab!
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Typical Usability Questions

• Please locate a book in the library by Bill
  McKibbon. Write the title.
• Please find Encyclopedia Britannica online.
• Please locate a video about Global Warming at the
  library.
• Please contact a librarian to ask a question
  about how to research economic information about
  widgets in Arkansas.
• Richard Shamrell, Physics Instructor, has asked
  his class to print out his physics notes on
  reserve. Please find them.
• The library has new database, Learning Express.
  Please find a practice test for algebra in it.

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Typical Focus Group Questions

• Where should e-reference/chat be located? What
  should the service be called?
• Weve added a Blog? What do you think? Where
  should it be located? Should it open in a new
  window? How can we get the best readership?
• What do you think of the library getting a My
  Space account?
• Before and After, through the years

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2002 HomePage
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After Usability Red Top Priority Yellow
Medium Green no problem
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Revised
Revised
Current
Original
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Search the Web Before
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More Improvements
Search the Web After
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Library Class Links Before
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and after
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Databases A-Z Before
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and after
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• Usability also suggested we
• Add more images
• Go to a 100 screen
• Add a print-friendly button
• Add a top nav bar

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Todays Web Site
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Benefits to the students

• Gives them real-world experience

• Critical frame of reference for their final
  course projects
• Feel they have contributed something valid to the
  college

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The Makeover Projects
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Makeover Project Text
The Golden Rules of Interface Design

• Place Users in Control
• Reduce Users Memory load
• Make the Interface Consistent

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Makeover Project Web Site Before
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Basic Tools for Makeovers
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(No Transcript)
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Makeover Project Web Site After
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Collaborative Lessons

• Dream Big
• Set a Timeline Start early, set benchmarks,
  provide enough class time
• Prepare Students Assign readings, provide clear
  instructions, talk it up.
• Cultivate a Culture of Participation Let
  students take the stage.
• Share Results with students, with the larger
  community. Follow up quickly
• Handout Ten Tips for Successful Collaborations

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Summary Its Like a Garden

• Regular Care and Tending
• Dont need special Usability class
• Make partners with
• English Classes
• Art Students
• ESL/ENL students
• Student Clubs
• Anyone!

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Thank You!
www.clark.edu/library/Faculty/onlinenw2008