Title: Homosapien Information Behavior and CitySearch.com
1Homosapien Information Behavior and CitySearch.com
- INFO 310 Individual Perspectives on Information
Systems - Ryan Prins
- Anthony Trotter
- Jamie Yaptinchay
2User Group
- Description of the Information Behavior of the
User Group
3Our User Group
- Who?
- College Students Looking for Entertainment in
Their City - Why?
- To find out what information our user group finds
important, useful, and are barriers in finding
local entertainment. In addition, to determine
what venues our user group typically chooses to
find such information and why.
4Why?
- College students are always looking for
entertainment - Interesting to see how well CitySearch.com
fulfills the information needs of college
students. - College students are a very accessible user group
to study
5What is CitySearch.com?
- CitySearch.com allows users to look for various
types of information - Restaurants
- Bars
- Movies
- Theatres
- Hotels
- Events
6Participant 1 Anthonys Interview
- User Identifying
- Online or Offline?
- Convenience
- Lack of money for other resources
- Frequency of Searching?
- Users typical resources?
- NWSource, Ticketmaster, Google
7Participant 1 Anthonys Interview
- Human Information Behavior
- User Searching Techniques?
- Search Strategies (from the 5 search strategies)?
- Browsing - I didnt really do much searching
there was a link, and it seemed like something
Id search for anyway. - Empirical
- Known-site (Ticketmaster)
- Information Encountering (browse out of boredom)
- Information Use not yet realized. Will be used
in the future - Take me to bars later
- Actions taken when barrier (or sense-making gap)
encountered - Accept barrier and adapt to the CitySearch.com
system - Sense-making
- Anomalous States of Knowledge (ASK)
- Information Searching Process (ISP)
8Participant 1 Anthonys Interview
- Site Improvements and Satisfaction
- Keepers!
- Browsing Tabs (most important)
- Change It!
- Add Proximity Preferences
- Too Much Information. Simplicity!
- Stupid Advertisements! Kill!
9Participant 2 Jamies Interview
- User Identifying
- Online Preference
- Quick and Easy
- Frequency of Searching
- Resources Typically Used and Why
- Yahoo!
10Participant 2 Jamies Interview
- Human Information Behavior
- How the User Searched
- Problems Encountered During Information Searching
- Excess of Information / Too Many Links
- Solution Trial and Error in Following Links
11Participant 2 Jamies Interview
- Site Improvements and Satisfaction
- Its all about the Tabs
- Satisfaction at Current Offering of Features
- Layout and the Importance of Pictures
12Participant 3 Ryans Interview
- User Identifying
- Prefers Online
- Frequency of Search 1 2 times / week
- Friends as Resource First
13Participant 3 Ryans Interview
- Human Information Behavior
- Search Process
- Location is Main Criteria
- Important Information for User
- Rating
- Distance
- Cost
- Problems
- Information Clutter
14Participant 3 Ryans Interview
- Site Improvements and Satisfaction
- Categorical Tabs
- Satisfied With Current Feature Set
- Pictures Were A Help
- Simplicity is Key!
- User Customizable Interface
- User defined portal
15Commonalities in User Need
- Proximity to Residence
- Availability of Transportation
- Cost
16Commonalities in User Demand
- Succinct Information Presentation
- Categorization by Tabs
- Pictures as an Aid
17Commonalities in User Want
- Categories
- Search Mechanism
18Applying HIB Theory
- Search Strategies
- Browsing
- Using Tabs
- Empirical
- What has worked in the past?
- Known-site
- Ticketmaster, Yahoo!, Google, etc
Whats your strategery?
19Applying HIB Theory (cont.)
- Information Encountering
- Information Use not yet realized. Will be used
in the future - Take me to bars later
- How Encountering Arose
- Boredom
- Felt the NEED to Do Something
20Applying HIB Theory (cont.)
- Actions taken when barrier (or sense-making gap)
encountered - Accept barrier and adapt to the CitySearch.com
system - Sense-making
- Sifting Through Recommended Information
- Anomalous States of Knowledge (ASK)
- Use of Directories Over Direct Search
21Applying HIB Theory (cont.)
- Information Searching Process (ISP)
- Initiation
- First View of CitySearch.com
- Selection
- Committed to a Way of Searching
- Exploration
- Reading the Links
- Formulation
- Applying Criteria to Links
- Collection
- Processing What is Relevant to User
- Presentation
- Information Found and Bookmarked in Personal
Information Collection DING
22CitySearch.com
- Evaluation of CitySearch.com and Its Ability to
Help Our User Group
23What is CitySearch.com?
- The city guide to entertainment, restaurants,
events, hotels, movies and businesses - Various City Portals
- A One Stop Shop for All Entertainment Needs
24CitySearch.com Demo
25Pros and Cons Determined by the User Group
- Pros
- Wealth of Information
- Multiple Locations
- Tabbed Browsing
- Pictures
- Proximity Metrics
- Directions
- Cons
- Too Much Information
- Invasive Nature of Advertisements
26Intended Audience
- Young Adults
- Special Events
- Concerts
- Movies
- Restaurants
- Adults
- 21 Events / Locations
- Family Oriented
- All the Above Listed
27Authority
- Nature of Domain
- Commercial Site (.com)
- The Organization Who Compiled It
- Ontario Inc.
- Partners
- Expedia, Evite, Entertainment.com, TicketMaster,
Match.com, ReserveAmerica - Inclusion of Advertisements
- Targeted Advertisements Prevalent Throughout
28Documentation
- Ways To Get Help and Learn About Advanced
Features - Availability of Help Link Right Next to Our
Users Beloved Tabs
29Format
- Layout
- Fonts
- Effects
- Blinking, Sound, Animation
- Size
- Number of Graphics
30Access and Organization
- Navigation Methods
- Search Features
- Links
- Categories
- Lack of Language Options
31Quality of Information
- Accuracy
- Dependent on Third Party Information
- Van Helsing Example
- Completeness
- The Amount of Information Available
- Language
- English Only, Variety of Language Style in User
Reviews - Who Determines and Creates the Content?
- CitySearch acts as a portal that compiles the
outside information. - The Content is Created and Determined by Outside
Sources (Al Qaeda)
32Privacy and Cost
- No Registration is Required
- Privacy Policy
- http//seattle.citysearch.com/templates/profile/po
licy.html?cslinkbottombar_private_policy - No Fees Are Required to Use the Website
- Advertisements
33CitySearch.com
34To Fulfill Our User Groups Needs
- Inclusion of Cost as a Broader Search Criteria
- Finding Entertainment within Certain Pre-Defined
Proximity - More Succinct Information
- Summary / Expanded Option
- More Emphasis on Outdoor Recreation
- Similar to Activities Found _at_ the WAC
35El Fin.