It’s easy to begin designing a digital library promising to keep an end-user, but how do you evaluate the project to ensure you are keeping to this goal? Library Science has reversed its focus on digital technology from having librarians interact with complex databases on behalf of end-users to designing databases that end-users can manipulate naturally. Constructing a digital presence takes time and informational architects need to have tools to evaluate the design throughout the process. The authors of a 2006 article suggest using three methodologies throughout the design and construction process, functionality, usability, and accessibility.
Functionality is generally what is focused on the most during information architectural creation. Functionality focus on how each part of a digital library functions. Ensure that basic search, advanced search, thesaurus, and search limitations actually perform correctly in user trials. Usability can be assessed by repeating end-user trials during different phases of construction. When end-users interact with the digital library environment are they satisfied? Did they find the recourse helpful and intuitive to use? The final methodology recommended by the authors is accessibility. This is an important thing to keep in mind when designing digital library for a broadly diverse populations such as a public library, or designing a site for groups with special needs. By evaluating your project with these three focuses, building a user-centered digital environment will be easier and more successful.
Repeatedly observing how users go about doing stuff on your website/in your digital library is very useful.
ReplyDeleteI was assigned "user-centered design" as my Concept Briefing topic for 4200 this semester, and in reading articles about that, I found that designers often will give test users a list of common tasks to complete and then observe them while they're trying to complete the task. The test users are asked to think out loud, and typically are videotaped, and their actions on the computer screen are recorded using a special program. Designers find out that for example icons they thought were clear, apparently are incomprehensible to most patrons. User studies can be so enlightening!
Incidentally, I could post my CB paper to the class website, if anyone is interested.
I particularly like that your post mentions the importance of testing resources to insure that they work for the end user. It is often a step missed when trying to create a functional library.
ReplyDeleteI did the same topic and agree it is important to test and see what works for the end user. I think the old saying "location, location, location",needs to be changed to "access, access, access"!
ReplyDeleteGreat points- When you don't "see" your user how can you make sure you are really meeting their needs. One of the most memorable things from SLIS5600 is that the user often doesn't know exactly what they are looking for but instead operate under the assumption they will "know it when the see it." This problem is only amplified in the virtual and digital libraries which make it that much harder for the librarian and the end-user to communicate at times. How you stay in touch with user needs in the digital environment is an obviously needed topic and discussion, particularlyas even libraries that continue to have a main physical space, tend more and more to serve distance and offsite users.
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