Method Presentation by Ben Andrus and Laura Evans Introduction BU Libraries and Usability 3 libraries open to students Bartle open 245 high demand for library space and resources Is our website easy to use ID: 300681
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The Art of Usability Testing: the Guerrilla Method
Presentation by Ben Andrus and Laura EvansSlide2
Introduction: BU Libraries and Usability
3 libraries open to students; Bartle open 24/5; high demand for library space and resources
Is our website easy to use?
In the past…Slide3
What is “Guerrilla Usability Testing”?
It’s a sneak attack—get them where they live/work/play
It’s quick—no advertising or recruiting
It’s flexible—sample can either be random or targeted
It’s cheap—because it’s quick, participants are satisfied with a small reward; also, it can be done without expensive equipment
It’s effective—elicits honest results from usersSlide4
Our Methodology
Identify areas of investigation
Create tasks for users to complete
Decide what info to collect on “Libraries’ Website Usability Study” form
IRB Approval
Schedule
staff to administer the tests (7 members of Usability Working Group)Slide5
The Test
Set up in the lobby of Bartle Library
Two staff members, two laptops, two questions in two sessions a day
Observers recorded the actions of usersSlide6
The Test
Entice students as they walk by
Each student asked to do one task, so it took less than 5 minutes of their timeSlide7
The Results
224 total users
Between 9 and 24 students of all levels performed each taskSlide8
The Results
Co-chairs
tabulated the actions of users for each task as well as the comments of
observersWrote report on findings, identifying problem areas and usage patternsSlide9
The Results: Some Interesting Conclusions
FindIt
! is used for everythingSlide10
The Results: Some Interesting Conclusions
MegaMenus
are cluttered and terminology is unclearSlide11
Takeaways and Future Directions
Guerrilla method worked well for us
Easy to scale according to your resources
Dividing tasks among more users prevents fatigue and enables more diverse user base
Get outside of the library? Take laptops to dining halls, dorms, etc.
Apply this usability method to other library services beyond the websiteSlide12
Questions?
Contact us:
Laura Evans
evans@binghamton.edu
Benjamin
Andrus
bandrus@binghamton.edu