VISUAL INTERFACE DATABASE WITH FISHEYE TECHNOLOGY

Peter Sommer

Ju-Ling Shih, Laura Zadoff

Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning

Visual Interface Usability Evaluation For Energy Database Collection Project (EDC) of

Digital Government Research Center (DGRC)

About the Project

• Project Description– Video Clip

• Project Description (Judith Klavans)• Rationale for Evaluation (Judith Klavans)

• Project Presentation– Video Clip

• Project Presentation (Surabhan Temiyabutr)

– Screen Shot• Old DGUI • New DGUI• Gummy Bear Show

– Websites• DGUI• Old Gummy Bear Show• Colorful Gummy Bear Show

Goals of Evaluation

• optimize the effectiveness of the interface,• identify usability problems,• provide feedback on the overall functionality,• anticipate changes in user need that might drive

future development,• validate the design,• indicate the extent to which the interface improves

on previous interfaces.

Methods of Evaluation

• Contrast Analysis• Heuristics• Task Analysis• Questionnaires

Contrast Analysis

Menu System vs. Fisheye• Technological

– Functionality

– Query efficiency

– Friendliness

• User– Query styles

– Strategies

– Easiness

• Heuristics: see comparison chart.

Comparison Example

e.g. (3.D) Tracing ability. Documentation of search process and task steps to enable users to trace their footprints.

– DataGate: DataGate allows you to save files or download datasets onto local drives so the users can continue unfinished work in other time. It allows users to download the queries and print out search results.

– Others: Some databases allow users to go back to a previous stage in the query history.

– Fisheye: Users can see the context and options on the screen, therefore can go for an alternative path for a query.

Analysis of Traditional Database

• Query Log Analysis of EDS DataGate– Flexibility in Choosing Variables

• Options to Sets of Variables

• Options to Adjust Individual Variable

– Keyword Search: Search Methods and Syntax• “All” vs. “Any”

• “And” vs. “Or”

– Modification of Queries• From General to Specific

• From Specific to General

Interviews

• Interdisciplinary Conversation• Interviewees:

– EDS librarians• Jane Weintrop

• Nicole Fox

– Reference Desk librarians• Jerry Breeze

• Alysse Jordan

Interview Findings

• User Type Identification

• User Goals

• Kinds of Questions

• Brief History of Search

• Types of Searches

• Related Terms for Searches

• Selecting the database

• Learning to use the Interface

• Student’s Searching Styles

• Searching Styles of Fisheye Design

• Flexibility to Searching Styles

• Helping the User Define the Search

• Standardize Problem

• Librarians’ Duty

• Suggestions for the Fisheye Design

Heuristics

• Goal– Usability inspection method targeting on interface design

by judging compliances to certain principles for successful design.

• Evaluators– Library Staff

• Design– Adapted from existing research – Modified for Energy Database

• Heuristics– Five Categories

• Appearance, Language, Functionality, Structure, Assistance

Task Analysis

• Process– Task Scenarios– Interview– Observation

• Goal– User Behaviors– User Intuitiveness for Different Groups of Users– Strengths and Weaknesses of the Design

• Participants– Content Experts– Government Agency Workers– Faculty and Students

Questionnaire

• Upon Completion of the Project• Target on Actual Users• Summative Evaluation• Preliminary Questionnaire• Timeline