Faculty Publications

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

May 2003

Publication Title

Online

Volume

27

Issue Number

3

First Page

20

Last Page

26

ISSN

01465422

Keywords

Web site design, End users, Methods, Performance evaluation, Technological planning

Disciplines

Databases and Information Systems | Library and Information Science

Abstract

Planning for long-term periodic usability assessment is therefore as important as adding regularly fresh content and tracking usage. Fortunately, usability assessments need not be time consuming or expensive, unless your site is large and complex and you want to test it thoroughly each time. In a practical sense, usability assessment can reveal problems in the design, navigation, layout, or labeling that prevent users from finding what they need quickly. After analyzing your environment and setting the stage for ongoing usability assessment, it is time to develop the usability assessment plan, which will serve as the blueprint for usability assessment activities and how these activities relate to the Web design process. Key components include: 1. goals and objectives, 2. target population, 3. type of assessment, 4. frequency, 5. test environment/equipment requirements, and 6. results and recommendations.

Comments

May/June 2003SJSU users: Use the following link to login and access the article via SJSU databases.This article is posted with the permission of Information Today, Inc.; www.infotoday.com.

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