The Norman Sicily Website
A Usability Study
Sicily Island
The largest Mediterranean�island of Italy
The Norman Sicily Website
Purpose
Objective
Motive
showcases cultural and architectural exchange during 11th and 12th centuries
Explore Sicilian history through range of resources, including historical overviews, maps, timelines, and multimedia content
Greater understanding and appreciation of the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Sicily
Our Team
Targeted �User profiles
Know the Participants
Our Methodology
Tasks & Scenario
Problems & Recommendations
Agenda
01
02
03
04
05
06
Timeline
Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
| | | | | | 20 |
21 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
Send a Calendly link for interview scheduling
April 13, Scheduling
April 14-19, User Testing
April 22-27, Analyzing
April 28-May 2, Report
Email consent form and conduct 30-minute user testing per participant
Draft a comprehensive report with recommendations
Analyze user testing study data
April 2023
May 3, Presentation
Our�Team
01
Our team
Yiying Zhou
Alicia Ritchie
Karan Vora
Keyi Zhang
IXD
2nd Semester
IXD
1st Semester
IXD
1st Semester
IXD
2nd Semester
Targeted User �Profiles
02
Academic Professionals
General Public
Students
Who interested in Sicily history & culture
Whose major is related to History
Professors & Researchers
Know the Participants
03
Age Distribution
23-24
62%
38%
27-28
Geographic Diversity
Gender Diversity
Female
75%
25%
Male
Occupational Diversity
Researchers
75%
25%
Students
Familiarity with
The Norman Sicily Project Website
Interest in Sicilian History
Our�Methodology
04
Step 5
Recommendations
Step 3
User Testing
Step 2
Consent
Step 4
Data Analysis
Step 1
Recruitment
Tasks &�Scenario
05
Scenario
Imagine you are writing a research paper about Norman Sicily. You want to gain a deeper understanding of the Monasteries of Norman Sicily and their Greater Network, as well as the Norman Rulers of Sicily and their Family Networks from the website http://normansicily.org/en/home/.
Tasks
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
You wish to know the name of the Mother and the Children of King Roger I of Hauteville.
You are searching for Saint Mary of Novara, a medieval church that was acquired by the Benedictine community. Your goal is to obtain the precise latitude and longitude coordinates of the church's location.
Go back to the homepage. Imagine you are interested in pictures of Churches around Sicily and want to download a photo of a specific one called “Chiesa Bizantina” for your research. Please show me how you would go about this.
Problems &�Recommendations
06
Let’s Look at the bright side first
“I liked the dynamics of the color coding and descriptive names, along with the nodes being linked to the colors.”
“It's pretty functional, and the interface is modern.”
“People section is impressive, and I particularly liked the interactive map on the places page”
“I loved the interactive map on the places page!”
“I like that they added a video on the homepage. It provides more context about the website.”
Problem statement 1
Usability Issues with ‘People’ Page Interactive Map
—Participant 1, 4 & 6
—Participant 6 & 8
“I found the text to be very small and cluttered. It made it difficult to navigate the graph due to lots of information.”
“I expected the layout functions to be different on the graph. I didn't notice the legend at the bottom corner.”
Legend placement may cause users to overlook it before accessing the graph
Selected node does not keep its focus
Recommendation 1
Improving User Experience with Graph Navigation and Search
Redesigned and Repositioned Search bar with search button
Redesigned Legend for better visibility
Access point of legend filters
Legend Filters for Accurate Search
Signifies that filter is active
Highlighted selected node with its family network
Problem statement 2
Issues with ‘Places’ Page Search and Map Icons Legend
—Participant 2 & 3
—Participant 6 & 7
“I had trouble finding the right church based on color because I missed the legend in the bottom corner. Also, for a moment, I was confused about how to search for them.”
“I couldn’t retrieve the coordinates of the church because It wasn’t there with other information of the church. I don’t know if search is working or not.”
No Search button on the search bar
The legend was overlooked due to its placement and blending with the background
The Link does not look clickable
Overlapping Content under the search bar
Recommendation 2
Map Navigation & Search Optimization with Interactive Layout
Updated Search bar assembled with Community Filters and Search button for better and accurate search
Highlights the churches selected from filters.
Problem statement 3
Inaccessible Image Server Link
—All Participants
“I looked for it under 'Resources,' but didn't find it there. I'm not sure where else it could be!”
The Link is not easily accessible or noticeable as it is hidden beneath a significant amount of content.
Recommendation 3
Image Server Access Optimization on Resource Page
Problem statement 4
Usability & Information Organization Issues with Homepage
—Participant 5, 6, 7 & 8
—Participant 1, 5 & 8
“Home page definitely has insightful information but it's a little cluttered right now.”
“I think more images can be used in the homepage to make it more visually appealing.”
Recommendation 4
Homepage Improvements with simplified & organized content
Conclusions
Positive
Implementation
Next Level
Image Server Access
People Page
Overall Impression
Places Page
Summary of Recommendations
Streamlining Map Filters & Search Functionality for Better Navigation and User Experience
Add an access point to the image database on the Resource page with clear labels and improved hover state
Simplify and re-organize text, add navigation options, and include more images on Home Page
Optimizing Graph Navigation and Search with Improved Layout and Interactivity
Thank You!
Q&A