COMPUTER SYSTEMS

Computer Systems

Executive Summary

On July 2nd, 2003, modifications to the University of Westminster homepage (www.wmin.ac.uk) and subsequent top-level sheets were implemented. These alterations are a outcome of more than 10 months of study that has encompassed casual meetings, repsonse from online types, and a prescribed usability study.

Objectives of the project:

Improve usability/navigation on the homepage and top-level pages;

Create space on homepage for consigning international communications messages; and

Develop a scheme for consigning assembly exact content at distinct grades of the site.

Improving the usability and navigation of the University of Westminster website was very resolute to be a foremost need founded on repsonse obtained from the present location and casual meetings with constituents of the campus community. The key advisor in this locality of the task was Lisa Given, PhD, Assistant Professor in the School of Library and Information Studies.

The foremost steps in advancing usability and navigation of the present location were

Conduct casual meetings to find out how persons use the location and what data they need frequently;

Organize content more effectively by evolving a better classification system;

Develop a check site; and

Conduct usability testing.

A prescribed study suggestion for usability checking was submitted to the Faculties of Education and Extension Research Ethics Board and was accepted on May 7th, 2003. Two rounds of task-oriented one-on-one talk-aloud meetings were undertook between May 10th and June 18th, 2003. Revisions to the location were made between the first and second around, founded on the outcomes of the first around with last modifications approaching after the second around of testing.

Key outcome and recommendations from the usability checking include:

* The most of participants ranked finding data as “easy” and association of the location as “effective.”

* In most localities, the classification of content was effective. In localities where it was not, modifications have been made founded on farther interrogating of and repsonse from participants.

* Access to often utilised sites through Quick Links is significant and effective.

* The Quick Links fall down list on the homepage was ineffective and restored by a list.

* Wording of classes and connections is significant and should be acclimatized to periods the book reader recognizes.

In supplement to the improvements to usability and navigation, the location has furthermore been changed to advance communications to both interior and external audiences. The U of A Notices part has been conceived on the homepage and all foremost second grade sheets to consign audience/subject concentrated notes at multiple points. Usability checking and repsonse from the location preview demonstrated the most productive way to format U of A Notices was as a bulleted register with each observe connecting to farther details. Another issue of interest from the usability checks was that some participants did not differentiate between the major University of Westminster website and other sites affiliated with the U of A. These participants had some adversity navigating inside other department/unit sites and asserted or inferred that it would be helpful if department/unit sites distributed widespread navigation/search/layout designs, in order that each location would “work the identical ...