In mid-April, University Communications & Marketing (UCM) and Information Technology (IT) conducted usability testing with current USF students. The testing took place over the course of two days in the Library with great results.

So, what was the purpose of the testing? To make sure the site works as intended of course!  Along with the new CMS, colleges, departments, and programs will have access to many new templates to build their sites.  We needed to see how students interacted with the site and what they were looking for.

What was the process?

UCM designed several templates, which were used to develop a “test site” that would allow the students to click and students to click and navigate through just as they would on a live site.

Concurrent with the template development, the following items were created to conduct the testing:

•  Task List: 10 tasks based on common scenarios performed on the current site were listed and printed out to give to the testing participants.
• Script: information that was read to the participating student that fully explained the process and what was expected of them. It also outlined steps for the facilitator.
• Video Release Form: to be signed if the student agreed to be videotaped while going through the test.
• Observation Form: a basic form that the facilitators used to take notes during the test itself. They were able to mark if the participant completed the task, if students had any issues, or if there were any comments that arose while trying to complete the task.
• Exit Survey: 14 questions that the students were asked to answer at the completion of their experience.

What was asked?

The first thing the students were asked to do was to spend a few minutes looking at the homepage and say what they thought about it; what they liked or didn’t like, what struck them, etc. Once that was completed, they were given the below task list and asked to talk their way through as they tried to do each item.

• Find information regarding Art History.
• Find an Art History class.
• Locate where you would find the cost to attend.
• Find Student Government information.
• Locate where you would schedule a campus tour.
• Find contact information for an Architecture adviser.
• Locate student employment information.
• Locate the Tutoring Center.
• Find Spring 2012 final exam dates.
• Locate where you would find admission requirements for graduate school.

At the conclusion, they had the opportunity to ask the facilitator any questions they had and then completed the exit survey. The survey asked questions regarding navigation, design, and organization along with what information students would like to see on the homepage, areas that could be improved upon, and any additional comments they had.

What was the feedback?

Very favorable! Below are just a few comments that were heard regarding the homepage:

• Good branding
• Brighter than old site
• Good organization
• More aesthetically pleasing than current
• Cleaner and more professional
• Engaging
• Clear navigation
• Very clean and visual
• More modern
• Visually striking

A brief video of some the student comments have been created for viewing. A longer, more detailed version is being produced and will be posted soon.

What are the next steps?

A lot of the feedback that the students shared has already been used to refine the design templates. Compilations documents and videos from the testing will be shared with any appropriate groups throughout campus. More usability testing will be conducted among relevant audiences in the coming months and even after the new CMS is officially launched.