Medical Library Association | About MLA : Site Information

MLANET Usability Testing

Background

2001 Usability Process

MLANET Usability Test Documents

Additional Resources

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Background

MLANET, the Website for the Medical Library Association, is the "virtual association" for its members, offering detailed information about the association and access to selected member programs and services. The site also serves as a tool for educating the public and the media about health sciences librarianship and about consumer health information.

The challenge for the MLANET Editorial Board (MEB) and headquarters staff is to evaluate how well MLANET actually meets the current and evolving needs of its audiences. Because no user-responsive Website is ever "done," MLANET should be constantly evaluated to ensure it meets the changing needs of its users.

2001 Usability Process

The usability testing in 2001 is designed to answer specific questions:

Is MLANET's main navigation terminology appropriate for MLANET audiences?
Can users easily navigate to areas of the site using the main navigation elements [navigation bar, header navigation, search engine]?
Is the site organized in a logical manner?
Is navigation intuitive and constant throughout the site?
Is site-area navigation appropriate, too shallow, or too deep for users?
Can users successfully complete tasks that are of interest to them quickly and easily?

In 2001, the MEB and staff will focus on two main tests:

a usability test of the current site with a small group of selected annual meeting participants at MLA 2001 in Orlando
an online Web usability questionnaire to get user feedback on selected elements of site organization and navigation

MLANET Usability Test Documents

MLANET usability process and plan for 2001
participant background questionnaire
sample test script
task list
post-task questionnaire (given to participants after each individual task)
post-test questionnaire (given to participants at end of testing period)

Additional Resources

Donnelly V. Designing easy-to-use Websites: a hands-on approach to structuring successful Websites. London, U.K.: Addison-Wesley, 2001.

Donnelly book cover; click for larger image

How to structure a Website with usability testing as your companion throughout the entire process. See also www.ibm.com/easy/.

Fleming J. Web navigation: designing the user experience. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 1998.

Fleming book cover; click for larger image

This book was the first in-depth look at designing Website navigation.

Krug S. Don't make me think: a common sense approach to Web usability. Indianapolis, IN: Que, 2000.

What you thought you didn't know about usability, you really do. Fun to read, lots of common-sense information.

Nielsen J. Designing Web usability: the practice of simplicity. Indianapolis, IN: New Riders, 2000.

Nelsen book cover; click for larger image

The guru speaks, and mostly we agree (but sometimes not). A must-read. See also www.useit.com/.

Pearrow M. Web site usability handbook. Rockland, MA: Charles River Media, Inc., 2000.

Pearrow book cover; click for larger image

Pretesting sites from start to finish, with examples and usability study samples thrown in. A must-read if you are conducting usability studies yourself...and you never have before. We used this resource extensively.

Rosenfeld L, Morville P. Information architecture for the World Wide Web: designing large-scale Websites. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. 1998.

Rosenfeld book cover; click for larger image

Eureka! Own this book.

Shneiderman B. Designing the user interface: strategies for effective human-computer interaction. 3d ed. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1998.

Shneiderman book cover; click for larger image

Used as a textbook on many college campuses. Chapter 16 offers a look at specific Web design issues.

Spool JM, Scanlon T, Shroeder W, Snyder C, DeAngelo T. Web site usability: a designer's guide. San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kauffman, 1999.

Spool book cover; click for larger image

Came out of extensive case studies and research from the mid-90s. See also www.uie.com/.

Add a Resource

Have a usability resource you would highly recommend? Forward to us and we'll add it to the list, with our thanks! Send your recommendations, or any questions or comments about MLANET usability, to Kate Corcoran.