Enhancing Website Usability: University of Utah - Department of Psychology Website Redesign
Abstract
In the spring of 2016 the University of Utah Department of Psychology began a project to enhance the usability of its website. A process of iterative design was used to improve the primary modalities of usability by focusing on the specific website components of design, content, structure, and functionality. Through the development and use of a standardized usability testing protocol, participants were asked about their website use and preferences, their subjective rating of website components, and were tested on their ability to successfully complete 10 tasks on the website. Using a voice recorder and visual observation this data was later analyzed to identify patterns of preference, use, expectation, and subjective user satisfaction. In this 3rd iteration of improvement, website component ratings remained high (3 or above on a scale of 1 being poor 5 being great), and the task pathway success rates, averaging 88% or higher, appeared effective and consistent with previous industry research. Along with explicitly stated participant recommendations, patterns from the usability testing were used to create a list of recommendations that may be implemented to further enhance website usability. Finally, a simple, efficient, and effective program of maintenance and control was presented that will help the website remain current and usable for years to come.Keywords: usability, human factors, web design, iterative design, Lean Six Sigma
Keywords
Authors who submit to this journal must agree to the following terms:
a) Authors retain copyright over their work, while allowing the conference to place this unpublished work under a Creative Commons Attribution License, which allows others to freely access, use, and share the work, with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and its initial presentation at this conference.
b) Authors are able to waive the terms of the CC license and enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution and subsequent publication of this work (e.g., publish a revised version in a journal, post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial presentation at this conference.
c) In addition, authors are encouraged to post and share their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) at any point before and after the conference.
d) The Author grants Marriott Library the nonexclusive, perpetual, worldwide, irrevocable right to reproduce, distribute, display, publish, archive, preserve, digitize, transcribe, translate, provide access and transmit their work (in whole or in part) for any non-commercial purpose including but not limited to archiving, academic research, and marketing in such tangible electronic formats as may be in existence now or hereafter developed.
e) Marriott Library may elect, in its sole discretion, not to exercise the rights granted herein.
f) Author shall retain copyright in and to the Work and Marriott Library shall provide proper attribution in its exercise of the rights granted herein.
g) Author is solely responsible and will indemnify and hold Marriott Library and/or the University of Utah harmless for any third party claims related to the Work as submitted for publication.
