Library User Experience Research blog: Welcome!

Using data and prototypes to test out new designs

Using a prototype in usability testing is a great way to try out new ideas and find out what works well and what doesn't before making changes to your live content. When that prototype is supported by use patterns and data (instead of preconceived ideas or bias), it's even more powerful because it validates the interpretation of the data.

In January 2018, Walden Library launched a completely redesigned homepage and site navigation. One year later in 2019, we conducted an analysis to assess how the new homepage and site navigation were being used by our visitors using analytics collected over that time period, including usage statistics and heat mapping data. The goal was to identify what changes we could make to improve the design and ultimately better serve the research needs of our students.

While we were able to use this data and analysis to shine light on several issues that could be confidently corrected through minor design and content adjustments, some items required direct user input to gather detailed feedback and to test out data-supported prototypes. Usability testing was needed to learn more about students needs and motivations. This gave us an opportunity to try out some new things supported by the analysis.

The test was conducted in August 2019 at the Atlanta student residency event. The homepage prototype iterated on the existing design and the recommendations that came out of the data analysis.

The activity tested four elements:

• Site navigation: the visibility and use;
• Search banner: the existing toggle labels (Thoreau; Search everything) and expectations about what the search boxes do;
• Subject research home dropdown: a prototype based on the data analysis to improve the understanding and design;
• Resource pill buttons (e.g. Articles, Journals, More resources): a prototype based on the data analysis that reduced the options to only what was being used into a new design.

Instead of rehashing everything here, here's the usability test report (PDF). Because we had 15 participants (!!!), it's dense. If you're short on time, I recommend at least reading the Conclusion & Recommendations, and you can always work back to the Results & Key Findings for details on why these changes are recommended. But if you enjoy learning about how our students' brains tick, I think it's worth a full read. Then again, I'm biased.

Screenshot of the prototype used in the usability activity: