meridia.net user experience auditabbott | meridia.net 1 the following user experience audit of the...

meridia.net User Experience Audit

Abbott Laboratories5 January 2004

Table of Contents 1 Overview

2 Finding meridia.net

4 Home Page

6 Consumer Home Page

10 What Is MERIDIA?

12 Who Should Take MERIDIA?

15 What to Expect on MERIDIA

16 General Guidelines on Obesity

17 Refer a Friend

18 Register for Updates

19 MERIDIA Milestones

21 MERIDIA in the News

23 U.S. Prescribing Information

24 FAQs

25 Site Map

26 Link Styles

27 Conclusion

28 Appendix: Usability Test Questions

1Abbott | meridia.net

The following User Experience Audit of the MERIDIA®The following User Experience Audit of the MERIDIA®The following User Experience Audit of the MERIDIA public website is based upon a ® public website is based upon a ®

comprehensive heuristic review of the site by closerlook staff, as well as usability tests conducted with seven potential users of the meridia.net. The primary goal of this exercise is to identify aspects of the website that can be improved from a user experience perspective.

The audit focuses primarily on the consumer-targeted portion of meridia.net, and is organized by the main navigational sections of that site.

Throughout the report, insights gleaned specifi cally from the usability tests are noted with the icon at left. The full set of usability test tasks and questions is included as an appendix to this document.

Overview


Observation

The fi rst challenge in presenting a usable website is getting people there. Meridia.net faces a considerable challenge in this regard due to its non-intuitive domain names. Neither “meridia.net” nor “4meridia.com” are easy for users to guess when confronted with a blank URL fi eld in their Web browsers.

Fortunately, meridia.net’s search engine placements are quite good. In both Google and Yahoo!, inputting the search term “Meridia” yields meridia.net as the number one listing. In other search engines (such as Dogpile), the results were not as positive. In many instances, a search on “Meridia” brings up a number of non-Abbott sites, including several lawsuit-related sites.

Finding meridia.net

Sample search engine results

“If someone were to tell you to look up a pharmaceutical product called MERIDIA on the Web, how would you do it? Test users were asked this question without any having been given any additional information about the drug. Nearly all of them replied that they would fi rst try to type “meridia.com” into the browser to see if that “shortcut” worked. Of course it did not, so users then resorted to their “Plan B,” search engines. With every extra step required of users to fi nd a website, the likelihood that they will give up increases.

USABILITY TEST HIGHLIGHT


Recommendation

The MERIDIA team should diligently investigate the feasibility of acquiring the domain name “meridia.com,” which is currently owned by Meridia Health Systems of Ohio.

Additionally, it is important to be constantly vigilant about search engines. Maintaining preferable rankings on most search engines is an iterative process, requiring the optimization of both content and the actual structure of the website. A variety of tools are used to analyze the site and optimize it for search engines–targeted for a specifi c range of anticipated user-entered search phrases. All search terms should also be checked against the Overture® database of search terms to ensure that any related or adjacent search terms are not missed. This process needs to be continually monitored to ensure the highest possible ranking.

Another avenue to ensure visibility on search engines is to sponsor certain keywords. This strategy results in the serving up of a sponsored text banner along with the “free” search results, whenever a user enters a sponsored key word or phrase. This kind of search-based advertising can be found on sites such as Google or Yahoo!, and is usually placed at the top or along the right side of the search results window. The immediate benefi t of this approach is the ability to instantly gain visibility for the website while content and structure optimization are still underway. The cost of keyword sponsorship can be conveniently managed by setting maximum daily budgets that may be changed or discontinued at any time. Increasing the budget will provide increased visibility; the budget should be monitored and regularly adjusted to provide maximum exposure for the lowest cost.

A good place to start with keyword sponsorship is to set an affordable monthly budget (e.g., $150-$200) as a pilot program. This small investment can be used to test various strategies to build on in the future, when more signifi cant funds might be devoted to keywords that prove successful.


Observation

The most prominent feature of the meridia.net home page is the segmentation of visitors into “Consumers” and “Healthcare Professionals.” This approach makes sense due to the signifi cant differences in these two audience groups, as well as the fact that virtually all visitors will fi t neatly into one of the groups. (One exception might be the media.)

However, the clear audience segments are diluted by the addition other navigational choices (“MERIDIA Milestones,” “MERIDIA in the News,” and “U.S. Prescribing Information”). While users can easily grasp the distinction between the consumers’ and healthcare professionals’ paths, it’s unclear how the other three sections fi t into these two larger divisions.

The text explanations closer to the bottom of the page do not provide any value. They’re so far down the page–well removed from the features that they’re meant to clarify–that most users won’t even see them. Even if they are read, they provide information that could be easily gleaned from the names of the main links, with the possible addition of brief explanatory text near those links.

The photos of the people on the home page, and throughout the site, are effective in communicating the target customer for MERIDIA.

Home Page

Audience segmentation on home page

“Would you ever go into a section called ‘Healthcare Professionals’?”Every test user indicated that they probably would. The reasons given were that they expected content in that section to be “more honest,” “less dumbed-down” or “less promotional.”



Recommendation

Simplify the home page by providing only two navigational options–the consumer and professional audience links. If any of the other existing links are legally mandated (e.g., U.S. “Prescribing Information”), they can be made less intrusive by placing them in a less prominent location, such as the footer.

Delete the three bottom paragraphs that attempt to explain the main links above.

The only other information that this home page needs is a clear, concise statement of identity that unequivocally lets visitors know that they’re in the right place. The “Welcome” paragraph just below the photos is along the right lines, but it should be moved up the page to ensure that it isn’t missed.


Observation

As with the meridia.net home page, this page contains text content that is less than optimal. Rather than beginning to explain the characteristics and benefi ts of MERIDIA, much of the page is devoted to “previewing” what users can expect on the site.

This is essentially “throw-away” content; it does not provide any new information to the user. The three bullet points promise content that may sound intriguing, but it’s not immediately apparent how the viewer is supposed to fi nd the information. There are no text links within the bullets to send users directly to the content being mentioned, and the wording of the global navigation links to the left do not correlate with that of this text introduction. For example, the second bullet promises information on “how your weight affects your health.” However, if the visitor is interested in that specifi c topic, it’s not clear from any navigational element on the page how to fi nd more information about it.

Consumer Home Page

Unnecessary intro text delays access to core content


Recommendation

Make the fi rst page of the consumer site count by providing helpful, engaging content about MERIDIA. Rather than spending valuable space and time talking about what the site contains, offer an overview of what MERIDIA does and whom it’s for. The information that currently resides on the “What Is MERIDIA?” page would be a much better start to the page. This kind of introductory text can also be used to provide links to deeper pages offering more detailed content:

MERIDIA is a prescription medication that’s used along with a reduced-calorie diet to help people lose weight and keep it off. MERIDIA works by acting on the diet to help people lose weight and keep it off. MERIDIA works by acting on the dietappetite control centers in the brain.

In fact, studies have shown that using MERIDIA, along with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, helps patients lose weight and maintain weight loss for up to 2 years.

Adding additional verbiage that draws users in would also be helpful. For example:

The side effects of MERIDIA are generally mild, and have usually not caused people to stop taking the medication.

Come on in and fi nd out if MERIDIA is right for you!


Observation

The graphic look and feel of the MERIDIA site–colors, imagery, etc.–are pleasant and appropriate to both the MERIDIA brand and the health-related subject matter.

However, the set of large graphic bands at the top of the Consumer Home Page, and every subsequent page in the site, is problematic. Using this screen real estate for purely decorative purposes pushes important content far down the page. Users must scroll to reach much of the content, and are likely to miss a good deal of it because they simply don’t know it’s there. At 800x600 or smaller screen resolution (which accounts for about 50% of Web users), hardly any real content is seen on the screen without scrolling. On the Consumer Home Page, the features “MERIDIA Milestones” and “Patient Education Materials” are likely to be missed for this reason.

Test users chose the following expressions to describe the graphic design of the site: “comfortable” “predictable” “healthcare” “calming” “pretty nice” “feels like pharma”


Key content and links cut off at 800x600-pixel resolution


Recommendation

Re-design the graphic page layout throughout the site. The screen real estate should be used more effi ciently so that key content and navigation are “above the fold” at standard screen resolutions. While it would be unrealistic to expect there to be no scrolling on the site, important features should at least begin above the fold. That way, users will be aware that they should scroll down for more. Obviously, these graphic re-design goals can and should be accomplished with sensitivity to MERIDIA brand guidelines and other consumer marketing materials.

Observation

The prominent button “MERIDIA Patient Education Materials” is not labeled intuitively for consumers. While the meaning of “patient education materials” is commonly known in the healthcare industry, it doesn’t resonate with the general public. Since visitors to meridia.net are the potential “patients,” and everything on the site should really be “educational” for them, the label is meaningless.

Additionally, the only thing that section contains is the MERIDIA brochure, so there aren’t actually any true “patient education materials” anyway.

Recommendation

Change the label of this section to read “MERIDIA Patient Brochure.” That’s what it is, so that’s how it should be named. In light of the screen resolution issues mentioned above, the link should also be moved to a more prominent location above the fold.

“How would you fi nd a brochure about MERIDIA that you could print?”Most test users were not able to locate the brochure in the “Patient Education Materials” section.



Observation

“What Is MERIDIA?” is the fi rst link listed in the global navigation at the left of the screen. Because of this prominent location, it is very likely to be one of the fi rst choices clicked upon. Therefore, this section should provide concise yet complete information about the medication. But, the page currently offers only a very shallow level of content, which is likely to leave most visitors unsatisfi ed. For example, the fi rst page states that “MERIDIA works by acting on the appetite control centers in the brain.” While this statement is true, it sounds overly simplistic for such a complex issue as weight control.

Users wanting more information about what MERIDIA does may fi nd the sub-section link at the left called “How MERIDIA Works.” However, this page does not provide much more illumination. The text in the main (white) content area doesn’t say much about how the drug works–only at what rate weight is likely to come off. In the gray box, the “appetite control center” information is repeated, but still not elaborated upon. The only extra advice given here is that diet and exercise are also important to weight loss–probably not news for most people.

What is MERIDIA?

Test users unanimously felt that pages like “How MERIDIA Works” simply did not provide enough information. These are intelligent individuals who want to make well-informed decisions about their health, and need “all the facts” to do so. Many stated that since meridia.net did not offer enough information (or it was too hard to fi nd), they would simply leave the site and seek the information elsewhere on the Web. Specifi cally, a number of test users wanted to know how MERIDIA fi ts into what they perceive as the two “classes” of weight loss drugs–“fat blockers” and “metabolism speeders.” Letting them know that it’s neither would have been very enlightening.



Recommendation

Re-evaluate the scope and arrangement of educational content on the entire meridia.net site. This effort will require a comprehensive information architecture exercise to determine the optimal mix of surface-level and deeper content, as well as appropriate navigation and labeling. One approach that may prove to be useful on the site is to initially present basic content about a subject (e.g., “How MERIDIA Works”), but then offer a “more information” or similar link on the same page, leading to more detailed content. That would allow users who are satisfi ed with more simplistic answers to just read the fi rst page, but those who hunger for more can explore further.

Incidentally, the MERIDIA Patient Education Brochure is quite well designed. Much of the content in it would be effective in fl eshing out pages on meridia.net that are currently lacking suffi cient content.

MERIDIA patient brochure


Observation

As discussed with the previous section, this area does not provide enough content to satisfy users. The BMI evaluation is a helpful starting point, but can leave visitors wanting more. If they click on “Use and Safety Information,” they are provided with more comprehensive content on who can and can’t take the medication. Once again, though, this link is not labeled optimally. The term “use and safety” is healthcare-industry jargon, and is not very meaningful to consumers.

Recommendation

On the fi rst page of this section, include more detailed information about who should and should not take MERIDIA. Then, provide a link to the comprehensive content currently residing in “Use and Safety Information.” But, the link should be labeled more intuitively. Links such as “Deciding if you should take MERIDIA” or “Is MERIDIA right for you?,” while perhaps wordy, are more likely to inspire consumers to keep exploring and learning.

Who Should Take MERIDIA?


Observation

Body mass index, or “BMI,” is clearly an important self-evaluation method for weight, and is used as the primary tool for that purpose on meridia.net. For most people, it provides a generally accurate idea of their necessity for weight loss.

While the simple BMI calculation that the site makes for users is helpful, it does not provide any supporting information or context for an individual’s results. Regardless of what numbers are input, the user gets the same message back.

There is no indication of where the individual falls on the “continuum” of BMI results–slightly overweight, extremely obese, etc. Also absent is any mention of other methods to evaluate one’s weight, which could support the results coming from the BMI calculator.

Finally, there are a couple of curious technical limitations to the BMI calculator. One is that the height pull-down only goes to 6’5”. And, inputting a weight of more than 379 produces an error. While only a few users are likely to fall outside of these constraints, why alienate even a small percentage of potential MERIDIA customers?

Same purple text appears regardless of BMI result


Recommendation

Provide more supporting content for the BMI calculator. For example, it would be extremely helpful for users to see their individual BMI result appear visually on a chart that shows weight ranges–underweight, average, moderately overweight, obese, etc. Not only would this added context be informative, it would give the impression that the tool is customized to the user, not just a simple calculator with very limited functionality.

Users would also benefi t from more information about other ways to evaluate their weight. Waist circumference is often used as a measure, and professional body fat analysis can also be a wakeup call for many people. While waist circumference is mentioned briefl y on the “General Guidelines on Obesity” page, it’s diffi cult to fi nd and not linked to from the BMI calculation page. In addition to helping consumers make informed decisions about their weight, these other measures may also compensate for the inherent limitations of BMI. For example, a BMI measurement does not provide an accurate weight assessment for an individual who is muscular. A six-foot-two, 230-pound professional football player would be considered overweight according to BMI, but his 34-inch waist would refute that.

Lastly, the BMI calculator should allow for a wider range of heights and weights, to be as inclusive as possible.


Observation

From the name of this section, one could assume that it would provide information about what it’s like to take MERIDIA. For example,

• how much weight loss can be expected• what side effects might pop up• how long someone might take it• advice on how to get the most of the medication, etc.

While this part of the site does address the fi rst bullet-point above, the rest of the section is an assortment of seemingly random information that does not support the title “What to Expect on MERIDIA.” The diet and exercise information, weight loss benefi ts, and safety information may all be important, but they don’t appear to fi t here. When content is placed in an area of a site where it doesn’t belong, users can only fi nd it by accident.

Recommendation

As suggested previously, meridia.net should undergo an information architecture re-design. That recommendation applies as much to this section as any other. If there is to be an area called “What to Expect on MERIDIA,” it should contain truly helpful and honest information about what the experience of taking the medication is. Testimonials or “my story” content from actual patients taking MERIDIA might also be a way to provide a more personal-feeling level of communication.

What to Expect on MERIDIA


Observation

This page is effective in that it raises the issue of obesity’s medical health risks, which should inspire consumers to carefully consider their weight. The page does suffer from some of the usability shortfalls of the rest of the site, however. First, the page title is not optimal. “General Guidelines on Obesity” suggests that the section will contain information about what is and is not considered obese. If someone were looking for the medical health issues surrounding excess weight, they would probably not fi gure out that it lives in this section.

Secondly, there is just not very much information offered. As in previously discussed sections, this page only briefl y mentions issues like heart disease and stroke. Providing more details about how these potentially catastrophic conditions are affected by weight would not only make a more educated consumer, but would likely also inspire more doctor visits.

Recommendation

Re-evaluate the naming of this page while establishing the revised information architecture of meridia.net. Including the terms “medical” or “health risks” would go a long way toward giving users an idea of the content that really resides here.

As recommended in other sections, provide more content about these health risks. A two-tiered content layout could be effective here as well. Provide the existing “surface” content initially, but offer links to more details about the various health risks of obesity for those consumers who are more inquisitive.

General Guidelines on Obesity


Observation

“Refer a Friend” is a commonly seen feature on the Web, especially on news-related sites. Therefore, visitors to meridia.net should not be too surprised to see it; the execution of the tool is fairly standard. However, restricting users by not allowing them to input a custom message to their friends is a curious choice.

Recommendation

Sending someone a link to a weight loss site can be a sensitive matter. It would help to allow users to add their own custom message when referring a friend, to help mitigate any confusion or potential for offense on the part of the recipient.

Refer a Friend

“Is there a way that you could see using the ‘Refer a Friend’ tool?”Several of the test users said that sending someone a link to meridia.net could be considered insulting, so they would not choose to use the “Refer a Friend” feature. But, it was suggested by some that they would do so if they had previously discussed weight loss with the recipient, and therefore knew that they could comfortably broach the subject.



Observation

While Web users are becoming more accustomed to giving out information, they are also sensitive about what happens to the data they provide. This page strikes an acceptable balance between asking for personal information, and giving the user some options. It’s very important that the market research question in the right column are optional; such a long list would be very likely to alienate some users if required to answer.

The inclusion of the “Privacy Policy” link and the paragraph surrounding it are also critical. Especially in the healthcare world, consumers need to know what they’re really agreeing to by completing a form.

Register for Updates

Key ingredients of “Register for Updates” page: optional questions and a link to the Privacy Policy


Observation

The name “MERIDIA Milestones” is not clear.

Recommendation

While “MERIDIA Milestones” is not an optimal name for the program, it would probably be impractical to change it at this time. However, there should be some clarifying text added to the name wherever it’s a link that users are expected to click on. For example, a brief tagline such as “Free weight loss tools” or “Our free rewards program” would greatly improve consumers’ understanding of what Milestones is, and thereby encourage them to participate.

MERIDIA Milestones

“What do you think ‘MERIDIA Milestones’ is?”Test participants were asked this question while looking at the link only–before clicking into the Milestones page. Not one of the users correctly guessed what it was. Most thought it had something to do with the development timeline of the medication itself–when it was approved, how many people take it, etc.



Observation

The actual “MERIDIA Milestones” page is effectively laid out, and communicates the program fairly clearly. However, another major fl aw exists here–there is no way to sign up for the program. Phone numbers are provided, but they are in a section which is intended for physicians. This block of text uses the language “…enroll your patients in MERIDIA Milestones…” and “…contact your Abbott sales rep…” Why the site suddenly begins speaking to physicians on this page is a mystery.

Users of the site are also encouraged to download the “Milestone Starter Kit Brochure,” but this link just leads to the Patient Education Brochure. And the brochure does not actually include any information about how to sign up for MERIDIA Milestones.

Recommendation

As the Milestones program moves from paper-based to Web-based, it will be critical to both clearly explain the program, and provide easy-to-use signup and maintenance functionality. These issues should be addressed in a comprehensive information architecture and technical overhaul of meridia.net.

Users may disagree with this statement


Observation

Calling the content in this section “news” is somewhat misleading. Most of the items are Abbott press releases, and the others all clearly present a positive “spin” on MERIDIA.

It’s important to remember that an individual website such as meridia.net does not live in a vacuum. If visitors do not fi nd the information they’re seeking, they will simply click away from the site and fi nd it elsewhere. At that point, Abbott forfeits any control of what messages consumers receive.

Recommendation

If the intent of this section is truly to provide news about MERIDIA, it should be more objective. Web users are intelligent–they know the difference between corporate PR and actual news. Including stories from medical journals and other recognizable publications would go a long way toward building credibility.

On the other hand, if the point of this page is really just to distribute Abbott press releases, the page should be labeled as such. Users can make their own decisions about whether to click into the section or not, without feeling tricked into it.

MERIDIA in the News

“What would you expect to fi nd if you clicked on ‘MERIDIA in the News’?”Most test users expected news about MERIDIA from sources that they considered objective–medical journals and mainstream media such as Time or Newsweek. When they clicked into the section and found that the features were very Abbott-centric, they expressed suspicion about their credibility. Some users even suggested that including some negative stories about MERIDIA would make them feel more comfortable, as it would seem to indicate that Abbott isn’t “hiding something.”



Observation

Many users are irritated by the use of .PDF fi les on websites. This is especially true when no “warning” is provided–a link is clicked on with the expectation that it leads to another HTML page, but the .PDF viewer “launch sequence” is invoked instead. Using .PDFs in this way hinders usability in more than one way. It slows down the browsing experience, as the browser’s .PDF plug-in loads. Additionally, it introduces a completely separate interface, as the user now has to get used to different tools for zooming and paging through the document.

Recommendation

Wherever possible, present all content in standard HTML format. If it’s absolutely necessary to use a .PDF fi le instead, the link leading to the fi le should indicate the fact that it is a .PDF. And in the case of extremely long documents (like the product insert) or image-intensive pieces (like the brochure), it’s also helpful to include an indication of fi le size and/or number of pages.


Observation

This section title is similar to “Use and Safety Information” in that it’s a healthcare industry term. The average consumer does not know what to expect from the name. To some, the name suggests that they might fi nd out how to get a prescription to MERIDIA.

Interestingly though, the content within the “U.S. Prescribing Information” document is a valuable resource to many consumers.

However, the “U.S. Prescribing Information” document is not entirely usable, both because of the large amount of esoteric content contained in it as well as the previously mentioned barriers of the .PDF format.

Recommendation

As it currently exists, the “U.S. Prescribing Information” document is diffi cult to digest for consumers. Therefore, the link to it would ideally be removed from the consumer site. Assuming that it needs to be there for legal reasons, the link should be made less prominent, perhaps placed in the page footer along with a “17-page .PDF fi le” warning note.

Clearly, though, consumers want more information about MERIDIA than the core sections of the site provide, and had to resort to this document to fi nd it. This is yet more evidence that the meridia.net should be rounded out with more details about the medication, as discussed in depth above.

U.S. Prescribing Information

While there is quite a bit of scientifi c information that most consumers don’t understand or care about in “U.S. Prescribing Information,” test users found this .PDF to be very helpful. After the perceived insuffi ciency of information in many of the core sections of meridia.net (as discussed above), participants had an “A-Ha, here it is!” reaction upon discovering data in this document that they couldn’t locate elsewhere.



Observation

The information in the “FAQs” section is quite helpful to users. It is concisely written and seems to contain all the key questions consumers might ask about MERIDIA.

One minor usability issue exists in the pull-down menu format used for the questions. Having to click the “Get answer” button each time a new question is selected seems to be an unnecessary step. Simply selecting the question should trigger the answer.

Recommendation

Make the minor technical adjustment of bringing up the appropriate answer as soon as a question is selected.

Since the information on the “FAQs” page is so well crafted, some of the content should be replicated on other core pages of the site. The content shortfalls discovered in the other sections could be addressed somewhat by adding selected information currently found on the “FAQs” page. Creating some “redundant” content across sections is a perfectly acceptable tactic on a site like this. Different users will browse in different ways; some will go immediately to the “FAQs” page, while others will work more sequentially through the main sections in the left navigation. With key concepts repeated in more than one section, the likelihood of communicating them to all users will be higher.

FAQs

“Get Answer” button adds an extra step to this simple tool


Observation

While a site map can be a helpful tool for users, the version on meridia.net is potentially confusing due to its inclusion of both the Consumers and Healthcare Professionals sites. The intent from the beginning has been to separate these two user groups. Therefore, complicating the navigation by presenting consumers with an entirely new set of options is a curious choice.

Recommendation

Limit the Site Map to the Consumers site only when accessed from within the Consumers site. Perhaps just one link to the Healthcare Professionals site would be appropriate, in case any target users of that site stumble across this Site Map.

By the way, a few minutes of investigation reveals the reason that the site map is presented in this manner. The four navigational items at the top of the site are shared by both the shared by both the sharedConsumers and Healthcare Professionals websites. This decision seems like a shortcut taken by the site developers, and is not valid justifi cation for potentially alienating consumers.

Site Map

Healthcare Professionals site map is misplaced on a consumer-focused site


Observation

There are a few instances of navigational links on meridia.net that are not intuitive. The most obvious example is the use of a line of bold text accompanied by a colored “arrow” graphic. Because of the distinctive appearance of these items, users expect them to be links. In fact, they would be very helpful if they were links, as they are generally used as bullet point for which additional information would be valuable to users. When a website user tries to click on something that isn’t actually a link, he or she can become frustrated, and the site can lose credibility.

Another case of a non-intuitive link style is the use of “click here.” When Web users scan a page (they rarely read every word), they look for items that jump out, and active links are the most obvious examples. It’s very important, then, that link names are descriptive. If the link says “click here,” it doesn’t help the user understand what it will lead to. He or she is then forced to slow down and examine the text surrounding the link in order to discern its purpose.

Recommendation

Establish and stick with an easy-to-understand style guide for links site-wide. Active, clickable links should look stand out from static, non-clickable text. Static text should be presented consistently to indicate hierarchy and key concepts, but not appear as if it should “do” something interactive.

Link Styles

Static text looks like active links


The meridia.net website is in need of an information architecture overhaul. While most of the key information about the medication does exist somewhere on the site, access to it is hindered by the site’s design. Navigational controls, site organization, and labeling are preventing potential MERIDIA patients from fi nding the content they need to make informed decisions about their own treatment paths.

While the overall look and feel of meridia.net is adequate, adjustments should also be made to the graphic design of the site in the interest of enhancing usability. Most notably, more effi cient use of screen real estate and creating intuitive link and text style guidelines would have a signifi cant positive impact.

Conclusion


Before Reviewing Site

How often do you use the Web?

What kinds of things do you use the Web for? What are some of your favorite websites?

Do you use the Web at home, the offi ce, or both? If you know, what are the connection speeds there?

If you were considering taking a particular drug, what kind of information would you want to know about it?

Do you know what “BMI” means? If no, what about “body mass index?”(Show words)

Have you ever heard of a pharmaceutical product called MERIDIA?(Show word)

If someone were to tell you to look up a pharmaceutical product called MERIDIA on the Web, how would you do it?

Have you ever visited the website for a specifi c medication?If so, what kind of information were you looking for? Did you fi nd it?How did you fi nd out about the site? (e.g., doctor, search engine, packaging, etc.)(Reassure participant that they don’t have to give out any private information)

Home Page

Allow participant 20 seconds to look over Home page.What do you think this site is about?

What do you think the difference is between the “Consumers” and “Healthcare Professionals” sections is?

Appendix

Usability Test Questions


Would you ever go into a section called “Healthcare Professionals” on a site like this?Why/what would you be looking for?

What do you think “MERIDIA Milestones” is?

Consumers Site

What would you expect to fi nd if you clicked on “MERIDIA Patient Education Materials?”

What would you expect to fi nd if you clicked on “General Guidelines on Obesity?”

How would you fi nd out if MERIDIA is right for you?

How would you fi nd out about how MERIDIA works?

How would you fi nd a brochure about MERIDIA that you could print?

How would you fi nd out about factors that would prevent someone from using MERIDIA (this is called “contraindications”)?

How would you fi nd out about possible side effects of MERIDIA?

How would you fi gure out what your BMI (body mass index) is?

What would you expect to fi nd if you clicked on “Refer a Friend?”Go to pageIs there a way you could see using this tool? Would you have any concerns about using it?

What would you expect to fi nd if you clicked on “Register for Updates?”Go to pageIs there a way you could see using this tool? Would you have any concerns about using it?What do you expect to receive if you do?How do you feel about giving away your email address?How would you feel about receiving email communications from a pharmaceutical company?If you sign up for something like this on the Web, do you ever purposely give false information?


“Usability” survey at the bottom of most pagesWould you/do you ever complete a survey like this? What do you think happens to the information if you do?What would you expect to fi nd if you clicked on “MERIDIA in the News?”Go to pageIs this what you expected?Take a look at a couple of the News stories. What do you think the source(s) of these stories is(are)?

What do you expect to fi nd if you click on “U.S. Prescribing Information?”Go to pageDo you notice anything different about this page from the rest of the site? Why do you think it’s like that?

FAQ pageTake a look at a couple of the questions and answers. How do you like this format (drop-downs with action button)?

MERIDIA Milestones pageLook over this page for a couple of minutes.What do you think this program is all about?Can you envision how a program like this could help you?

What, if anything, do you think is missing from this site?

What do you think of the graphic design - colors, imagery, etc.?

meridia.net user experience auditabbott | meridia.net 1 the following user experience audit of the...

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