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Web Client- DeLIver

Notes from Focus Group on early version of DeLIver

(9/10/97)

Couldn't look at the articles in Panorama because I used a UNIX box. I could have used a PC (there's a PC box next door), but I'm pretty illiterate with PCs. [note: we let them play with Deliver in rm. 433, and they appeared to be uncomfortable using the PC. But, eventually they got used to having to move windows around and stuff.]

"I played with it yesterday, but I didn't get past searching for the author." (I tried to figure out different ways of searching authors.

• 2nd and 3rd synonym options. "I didn't see it at first because the graphics up top took up too much room, but when I did, I liked it. The partitions made it look like the first window (the first part - "enter search term") was it."
• Liked the way the AND/OR phrases were constructed "because they give me more information than just AND and OR. It's like building a sentence...but you don't need to capitalize the words."
• "The main value of the system is to get lots of information on articles quickly. You can quickly make decisions about further time and effort."

"What I really didn't like were the big graphics up on top."

• They probably make the page much longer to load.
• "And I kept thinking, "if I could only figure what all the stuff is!" It took me three or four minutes to figure out how to search."
• Thought that the big "search deliver" graphic up top was a link that would take them to another page that would let them do the search.
• Thought the first page was the intro page.
• Couldn't tell what was and wasn't a link. I thought the "test phase" point would link to more information about the project....
• "It's cluttered looking....The graphics are too big for stuff they are conveying."
• "You should think about the load time especially since this is the central page."
• Eventually figured out that the graphic on the upper left hand corner would send me to some overview page....

Need intro page before they get to the search page:

• "Where is the intro? I couldn't get to the project overview."
• Would like to see a page that says "this is the DLI." They felt thrown into the middle of the site.

Didn't like the big search (i.e., Perform Search) button:

• make it smaller so that it has a shorter download time...."You could run the page through "Doctor HTML" to find out how much time it'll take to load."

The big 1 and 2 caused some confusion:

• The big "1" and "2" as ways to build filters.
• The "1" and "2" meant steps.
• Suggestion: label the boxes 1 through 4, so the people know that these are steps that they could follow.

The biggest problem, though, was the bottom of the page:

• "Somebody did a lot of work on professional looking graphics. Unfortunately, it's the wrong stuff."
• "You can't read the embedded text because the colors don't contrast enough
• The graphics are too big. Lots of wasted space.
• What is "INSPEC/Compindex"? The terminal picture is not evocative.
• Want redundant representation of the pictures. Thought these blue links above were, but they're completely different links: "I had to read the URL on the bottom before I realized that it's not the same as the icons . They should be redundant. Plus, if you hit the link that leads you to a completely different site, you should tell the person they're leaving the site."
• thought the Web search button would let you search the DLI (like the CNN page), but went to altavista
• the URL for Altavista is wrong. It should be www.altavista.digital.com, not www.altavista.com.
• The "perform search" on the bottom - didn't know if it was a button or a graphic...It's too large.

- there should be a search button right next to each of the search boxes on the form.

• "reset" search or "clear search fields"
• couldn't read "uiauthom" on results - a) it's in italics and b) "this means what?"
• the yellow button (i.e., the survey button) shouldn't say "HELP" on it - makes them think that will lead us to an intro page of explanation of icons and links. Use "FEEDBACK" instead.
• too much graphics on the "search results" page
• want navigation bar with much smaller pictures that you can have on every page so that you can see more results. Also, on the search page, you can see more of the boxes instead of all the graphics.
• want a button that says "clear search fields" instead of "restart search"
• Most useful feature. "It's the way I search naturally. First I read the abstract and then I scroll through the article."
• Gotta label it differently. Right now, it says "search results" just like the last page, and so if you go back to it after a while, you may wonder where your other results went.

• Put quotes around the snippet so we know it's part of the phrase.
• Put all options on this page just like the search results page, so if we want to see the articles in SGML or PDF, we don't have to go back to the search results page to access these. Should be able to get to every option from each page.
• Want more characters around the word in context...maybe 1 or 2 sentences.
• Seemed to be multiple formats of figures, especially TIFF files. Need helper apps to handle the TIFF files.
• confluence of underline meanings (link and journal name)
• link color (light green) not enough contrast
• extended cite is very useful because of the abstract, especially with people who can't look at the SGML. "Why don't some of them have the abstract?"
• BUG? Article by Michael Foo and Carolyn Hayes - whole paragraphs are underlined.

• want caption with figure
• want numbers next to the footnotes (globes are next to them now).

• the stuff in this page covers more stuff than just search assistance. Need to rename it.
• The font is difficult to read; shadowing makes it difficult. Resolution problem. Just use regular text.
• Terms are too long. Look at the uiuc home page as a guide - they use bullets.
• Background is bad - need less contrast. Too much real estate.
• Categorize and group: example, Spot page. http:\\tortie.me.uiuc.edu/spot/
• The first form should be an overview, not the contact person. Implies that the only way they can get help is to call the contact person.
• Index on each page including software needed, search assistance. Intro page could have an explanation of the items on the navigation bar.

• want to be able to save it and read it later
• "I'd use this for the extended citation. I can tell then if I want this article. Then, I can either save it, or I can go and get the article from the library."
• If available in PDF, definitely would use. "There's nothing interesting in PDF now."
• Two modes: "...can find articles to read and can read article. If it were in HTML, I would read the article in the same environment."
• Ideal solution - built in browser or smooth integration.
• "I'd use this first because if it were here, then I could download the article. Then I'd use IO Plus to see if there are things outside that I missed. Then, a web search; fits right in with web searching. I do web searches everyday anyway just to see what people are doing." Of course, the biggest weakness is the size of the collection.
• Component use: impressive that you can narrow things down like that. Have to get used to it because don't normally search that way, but is a useful tool.
• Don't print stuff out; read on the screen.

• write up two pages of detailed HELP and a "handy reference page" -> quick tips, etc.
• Access stuff on UNIX box
• want to be able to e-mail the results of extended citation. Put a button on the page that will allow users to do so.
• all graphics JPEG or GIF
• aesthetics (see discussion on graphics); higher contrast, less graphics
• need index and front end
• "Moving to a new application, downloading, is a mental tripping point. It's a big investment to start new application, download, and then print. Think of it as a separate or different task. Want Netscape to get at fulltext (or program that's closely coupled with Netscape)."