development of an ease of use web site

Development of an Ease of Use Web Site


Linda Lisle, Jianming Dong and Scott Isensee

IBM


Purposes

Designed and implemented by UI Architecture and Design group

Developed by a multidisciplinary team Site intended to:

– Provide UI tools, guidelines and info– Provide a public forum for new UI ideas– Demonstrate our commitment to usability


Our First HCI Site

Provided information about HCI and tools for practitioners

Segmented the information by audience Simple site structure with audience

page, topic page, then content pages


Second HCI Web Site

Wanted to increase the amount of content and make use of new technologies

Responded to user feedback Started to do incremental updates which

we featured in the exhibits section


Ease of Use Web Site

Wanted to reach the press and other decision makers

We found they wanted very simple and concise information


Ease of Use Web Site Version 2

Wanted to address problem of being “lost in hyperspace”

Needed to determine how technologies such as Java, JavaScript, Flash and CSS could be appropriately used


User Involvement

Cognitive walkthrough and heuristic analysis

Usability testing On-line questionnaires Card sorting User feedback form on web site


Design

Large sites can benefit from a design methodology

Used modified form of OVID Created object diagrams

– Documented object views, relationships and states

Did conceptual design before implementation


Lessons Learned

Problems with browser versions Choosing and implementing a

technology Tension between leading edge UI and

simplicity Dos and don’ts


Lessons Learned

Project management


Lessons Learned

Navigation Synchronization of media


Future Directions

Continue to expand the site Identify common user problems on the

web, design solutions, evaluate them Refine user model for the web Develop and evaluate web design

methodologies This will all appear at www.ibm.com/easy

development of an ease of use web site

Documents