Web Advisory Group

Charter

Minutes

Web Contacts
(staff list)

Usability Testing

User Needs Assessment

[Public web]
[Staff web]

Web site redesign

Nicole Hennig [hennig@mit.edu]
& MIT Libraries' Web Advisory Group
Feb. 1999 - June 2001

1. usability testing (March 1999)

2. evaluating web sites of other libraries
   
   
3. goals of our new web site
   
   
4. web content ideas:
   • web ideas contest results
   • ideas contributed by our patrons
   • results of library staff brainstorming session
   • contribute an idea (library staff)
   
   
5. card-sorting usability tests (summer 1999)
   
   

   The inspiration for these tests was taken from the methods described in:
   Creating Web Site Designs Based on User Expectations and Feedback
   Jeanette Fuccella and Jack Pizzolato, IBM Corporation

   • instructions - part 1 (June 30 - July 7)
   • list of link names
   • results - part 1
   • description - part 2
   • category survey: sent to 84 library users, received 20 responses
   • reverse category survey: sent to 84 library users on 9/2/99, results as of 9/14/99

6. new web categories
   
   
   • Search Our Collections
   • Research help
   • Borrowing+Ordering
   • Subjects+Courses
   • About Us

7. new web content inventory: detailed list (draft)
   
   

8. subject pages working group | subject pages guidelines
   

9. creating the "wire frame" - a text-only mock-up
   see it here: http://libraries.mit.edu/dev-4
   (restricted to members of email list: all-lib@mit.edu)
   
   What is a wire frame? Read this article:
   http://www-ibm.com/software/developer/library/wireframe/wireframe.html

10. selection of a graphic designer:
    Hecht Design - web portfolio
    
    

11. web author grid - (draft coming soon)
    
    
12. "house style" - this is for both web and print publications of the MIT Libraries
    
    
13. metadata generator form (work in progress)
    
    
14. creation of templates with new look & feel (delivered to us by Hecht Design in mid-Dec. 2000)
    
    
15. build a preview site by copying from wire frame into new templates (January - February 2001)
    
    
16. open preview site to public ( April), make links from our current site
    
    
17. usability testing of new site (during March and April)
    - test results, test 1: undergrad and grad students, March 7 - 14
    - results, test 2: faculty and grad students, April 25 - May 9
    - test 3: users with disabilities - April and May
    - more tests coming soon
    
    
18. released new site (June 25)
    http://libraries.mit.edu
    
    
19. more usability tests coming soon! (it's a continuous cycle)
    For complete list of usability tests, see: Usability Testing in the MIT Libraries