Monthly Method Spotlight: Word Association

WORD ASSOCIATION

What comes to mind when you think of SLA?
Word association activity at User Experience Caucus meeting, Special Libraries Association (SLA) 2012 Conference, Chicago.

What: Word Association

When/why: This method is a quick and informal way to gather information and insight about what people think about a particular organization, service, product, etc.

How: Example scenario - You want to know what people think of your organization, but you know that people don’t want to fill out a survey. Ask them what comes to mind when they think of your organization.

Tips: Tell participants to quickly tell you what comes to mind. The idea is to get their immediate reactions and responses, not thought-out ones.

Next Steps/Conclusions: Look for patterns in the responses.

Interested in using/applying these methods in your work? Contact us for more info.

Monthly Method Spotlight: Narration

NARRATION

What: Narration

When/why: This method is a great way to gather information on how an activity, service, or process is conducted and perceived by a user.

How: Example scenario – You want to see how a patron uses a library’s online catalog. Ask a patron to search for a book and narrate aloud as they conduct their search.

Tips: Record this session for later, more in-depth analysis. (Of course, ask for patron permission first.)

Conclusions: As the patron narrates the process, you will be able to see where in the process a patron gets stuck. This highlights areas that need improvement. Narration will also expose patron’s feelings and opinions about the catalog which can also be used as data for potential improvement areas.

Interested in using/applying these methods in your work? Contact us for more info.

Upcoming Workshop – DIY Usability and User Experience: Is Your Library People-Focused?

Join us and the Rochester Regional Library Council on Tuesday, February 5 at 9am for the “DIY Usability and User Experience: Is Your Library People-Focused?” workshop.

With budget cuts and staff shortages, libraries are asked to do more with less. As a result, libraries are increasingly using technology, self-service models and other trends to make services and processes more efficient. What tends to be overlooked is how these implementations affect the overall library experience for patrons and staff. Is it really more efficient and efficiency at what cost? Whether your library is looking to renovate, relocate, rebrand, or introduce a new service/program, people-centered design is crucial to the process.

In this DIY-style workshop, you will learn how to use people-centered design methods at your library to help you plan, coordinate, assess and evaluate your services and processes to ensure that they are cost- and time-efficient. While you may not have the staff, time, or funding to do a full-fledged library usability and user experience study; together, participants will experience how to use these methods to make small changes for a big impact. Filled with examples, case studies, and activities, participants will leave this workshop with the framework and tools for completing their own DIY usability study.

Top Posts of 2012

To wrap up the year, here are our top 5 posts of 2012:

1. Accessibility – Stair Ramps
2. E-Portfolios: Webinar Recap, Tools, and Resources
3. 15 Free Ebooks about User Experience and Interface Design
4. DIY Usability & User Experience Workshop at METRO
5. Is Your Library People-Focused?

Bathroom Blogfest 2012 Round Up

We had fun participating in this year’s Bathroom Blogfest.

“On my way out.”