Applying User-Centered Design Principles to Redesign the Interface to the Portal to Texas History: The IOGENE Project
Date: May 2010
Creator: Murray, Kathleen & Belden, Dreanna
Description: This paper discusses applying user-centered design principles to redesign The Portal to Texas History. Abstract: The IOGENE project at the University of North Texas Libraries applied user-centered design principles to redesign the interface to a unique digital library of cultural heritage materials, The Portal to Texas History. Since its launch in 2004, the interface had become dated and implementation of new functionality was constrained by the underlying technical infrastructure. Genealogists, a significant and under-studied class of digital library users, participated in the redesign of the Portal's interface. At the outset of the project, focus group discussions provided insights regarding genealogists' information needs as well as their research practices in relation to online information systems. In large part, these insights informed the functional requirements for the redesign of the Portal's user interface. Subsequent to each of two public releases of the redesigned interface, genealogists were engaged in usability testing. An online survey measured user satisfaction prior to and after the new interface was released. Results determined that satisfaction with the Portal significantly improved after the final release of the redesigned interface. The project's process and findings will be of interest to archives and digital libraries facing similar challenges in regard to ...
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28324/
Open Source Components, Standards Conformance, and UCD: Building Blocks for Successfully Managing and Enhancing an Established Digital Archive
Date: May 2010
Creator: Murray, Kathleen & Phillips, Mark Edward
Description: This paper discusses open source components, standard conformance, and UCD. The Portal to Texas History is a gateway to cultural heritage collections from Texas libraries, museums, archives, historical societies, and private collections. From its initial release in 2004, the Portal's unique visitors had grown from 1,000 per month to over 20,000 per month. The user interface had become dated and the underlying digital asset management system (DAMS) did not readily support implementation of new functionality. The IOGENE project at the University of North Texas Libraries involved family history researchers, a major user group of archives, in a user-centered application development project to redesign the Portal's interface. At the outset of the project, an application development model was created to guide three teams: system development, interface design, and user studies. The legacy DAMS was replaced with an infrastructure and framework of open source components. Specifications and standard practices in critical areas were established. The Portal's newly minted interface and infrastructure debuted in two public releases in 2009. Subsequent to each release, usability tests were conducted and at the conclusion of the project, experiences and accomplishments were reviewed by the project teams. This review informed a revised application development model that may ...
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28325/
Optimizing the User Experience in a Rapid Development Framework: Evaluation of Project Outcome: User Satisfaction Report, February 2010
Date: February 2010
Creator: Murray, Kathleen
Description: This report presents information about the IOGENE project. The University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries received a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in December 2007 for a two-year project to identify the user interface requirements of genealogists interacting with the Libraries' Portal to Texas History. This document reports information about the survey questionnaire, the respondents, the research findings, and includes the positive overall outcome regarding user satisfaction with the work conducted in this project.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc32984/
Optimizing the User Experience in a Rapid Development Framework: Final Project Report, February 2010
Date: February 2010
Creator: Hartman, Cathy Nelson & Murray, Kathleen
Description: This report discusses a research project conducted by the University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries. The UNT Libraries received a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for a two-year study to redesign the interface to The Portal to Texas History, a digital library program at the UNT Libraries. This report opens with background information for the project, describes the project's methods and working model, guides the reader through the project's three phases and associated feedback from the review process, and presents the revised model for application development. The report closes with measures of the project's success as well as reflections on the experience gained and its value for future digital library application development projects.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc32974/
Optimizing the User Experience in a Rapid Development Framework: Usability Tests: Summary Report, February 2010
Date: February 2010
Creator: Murray, Kathleen
Description: This is a summary report of the findings of usability tests. The University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries received a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in December 2007 for a two-year project to identify the user interface requirements of genealogists interacting with the Libraries' Portal to Texas History and to redesign the interface to the Portal to meet those requirements.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc32986/
Applying User-Centered Design Principles to Redesign the Interface to The Portal to Texas History: The IOGENE Project
Date: 2010
Creator: Murray, Kathleen R. & Belden, Dreanna
Description: This poster presents information related to the IOGENE project and discusses applying user-centered design principles to redesign the interface to The Portal to Texas History.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29805/
Open Source Components, Standards Conformance, and UCD: Managing and Enhancing an Established Digital Archive
Date: 2010
Creator: Murray, Kathleen & Phillips, Mark Edward
Description: This presentation is about The Portal to Texas History and the IOGENE project and the strategies and steps involved in their development.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28354/
The Portal to Texas History
Date: October 24, 2009
Creator: Murray, Kathleen
Description: This presentation presents information about The Portal to Texas History, a digital gateway to cultural heritage collections in Texas. This presentation discusses the IOGENE project, the research processes involved in developing The Portal to Texas History, the research with genealogists, and shows illustrations of the contents of The Portal to Texas History.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc32884/
Quality Assurance Tests: Release 2 Summary Test Results, October 2009
Date: October 2009
Creator: Murray, Kathleen
Description: This report discusses the key findings of the quality assurance testing conducted by the University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries. These tests are part of a two-year project to identify the user interface requirements of genealogists interacting with the Libraries' Portal to Texas History. This report discusses tests conducted by 22 members of the ITS and DPU staff between September 28 through October 1, 2009.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc32976/
Optimizing the User Experience in a Rapid Development Framework: Portal to Texas History: Baseline Survey Results, June 2009
Date: June 29, 2009
Creator: Murray, Kathleen
Description: This report discusses the questionnaire for the IOGENE Project. From September 26, 2008 through June 26, 2009, an online survey questionnaire captured both demographic data from Portal visitors as well as their opinions regarding the utility of the Portal and their satisfaction with it. The objective of this data collection effort was twofold: to characterize Portal users and to establish baseline measurements for user satisfaction. The survey will be repeated following each of two planned releases of the redesigned Portal, one in the summer of 2009 and the second in the fall of 2009. Comparison of future survey results to the baseline results reported in this paper will be one gauge of the success of the IOGENE project.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
Permallink:digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc32983/