UI Audit. WebWare MAMBO Kristee Rosendahl. WebWare MAMBO 3.0 Audit K. Rosendahl 1

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1 UI Audit WebWare MAMBO Kristee Rosendahl WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl

2 Foreword The following is an audit of WebWare MAMBO.0, reviewed over the course of a month. I have attempted, for the most part, to look at the site through the eye s of a first time user. At the same time, I am an informed user with a background in application UI and design. I reviewed sections of the site and then met with an internal WebWare group to discuss and clarify issues and reasons behind the implementation. That feedback was then incorporated back into this document. In this period of time, I have focused on observations where items where confusing, inconsistent or where an alternate approach would be appropriate. There is no attempt to solve user interface problems in this document. I did, however, raise some issues in early sketches of alternate ways to approach the Search function. See document Search_Funct.pdf This Audit begins with a summary of some of the key points that were consistent observations during my review. These comments are focused specifically on the usability of the application. USABILITY Usability is how well users can actually do their work using the product. In the case of the current implementation of the application and proposed version in PRISM, usability should focus on: Conceptual and mental models Navigation and hierarchy User tasks and workflow Visual design and language Although it currently features an inconsistent interface, lack of clarity and inconsistencies, we know that users see the value of the application. They are willing to work around these problems because they clearly perceive the application as delivering tangible benefits. Similarly, as we have seen in client feedback and in a training sessions for.0, the frustration level of users has been high. While many of the issues dealt with.0 have been addressed in.0, it is still clear that inconsistencies in the interface require as much training for the workarounds as for the actual functionality. Creating a consistent and easy to use application will reduce training time and user frustration from the beginning. The new.0 product represents a huge step forward in addressing necessary and enhanced features for clients. Most of their initial feedback at the User Conference was quite positive. During this same Conference, we were able to present a small set of sketches which represented some interface approaches that support ease of use for the WebWare MAMBO product. These were met with additional approval and enthusiasm. This feedback from current clients indicates that even just the current set of functionality with an improved and consistent look and feel would be considered a win for WebWare. PRISM will prove to be much more, with the addition of more enhancements and features unified with a highly usable interface. WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl

3 CONCEPTUAL AND MENTAL MODELS A good conceptual model lets users predict the effect of their interactions with the product. We form explicit models through experience, training, and instruction. A good model provides some deep understanding of even complex applications so that we can resolve issues when things don t go as expected when we are trying to use the product. The user s model is developed out of interaction with the visible structure of the system and the visible part of the program is the interface. Current Issues Generally, the training materials are helpful in outlining the concept of assets, how to find and manage them, and use the system overall. The implementation hinders users (particularly the first time users ) ability to apply that abstraction to what they think they know. People struggle to deal with the ambiguity of differing behavior and look for repeating actions. A good portion of the training has to focus on workarounds making the places where the behavior is not right or consistent more obvious to users so they can get around it and won t apply it to their model. In MAMBO.0 training, the conceptual model for understanding assets and their management, is not delineated clearly enough. First-time users, for example, struggled to make sense of the overall model in relation to the inconsistencies of behavior. MAMBO.0 does not really try to solve this modeling problem. The object behaviors and interactions in each context need to be made more visible and clear up front. Goals make model visible through mapping, controls and relationships make it easy to use because possible actions and controls are obvious make the application easy to learn and understand promote consistent behaviors and interactions within application be familiar to users and meets their expectations map to existing programs and processes users already use ACTIONS gather feedback from customers using existing application propose clarification of the model through prototypes and user feedback RESULTS high-level user guidelines for the organization and display of information basic conceptual model (paradigm) which can drive UI development WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl

4 NAVIGATION AND HIERARCHY A well-designed information architecture for navigation and hierarchy allows a user to move quickly and to efficiently locate relevant functionality. It s imperative that there be a structured hierarchy that is consistent and predictable across the entire application. Ease of navigation means the absence of unnecessary steps to get to a task and perform it. Web-based applications must choose whether to mimic traditional or common applications that lessen navigational needs by using common and standard tool bars. Current Issues The application is not always easy to navigate. There seem to be a number of extra steps in many of the processes that could be streamlined. The disconnect between navigation to places like MAIN screen or COLLEC- TIONS, and actions like SEARCH and CATALOG make the hierarchy unclear and hard to model. Additionally, all the critical information nested in a huge number of drop-downs can obscure a general sense of visibility that users need to feel they know where they are and what the choices are in each place. Goals create and support a sense of place give a sense of context within a place make the general organization of application more apparent ( too many drop-downs) reinforce and make obvious user s current location within the application promote consistency in all appropriate areas and from screen to screen impose a logical grouping of functionality and tasks emphasize clarity order and group elements in visually meaningful ways ACTIONS determine overall functionality and location of features model the information architecture visually through maps where global, local and contextual navigation is apparent across the application standardize information architecture based on core user tasks RESULTS a predictable structure that matches users expectations navigation and hierarchy that delivers user s benefits a logical, accessible, easy to use product WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl

5 USER TASKS AND THEIR WORKFLOW A task is any sequence of questions, prompts and results that constitute accomplishing a goal. A workflow can be comprised of many tasks, either by linear or non-linear steps. An application s primary purpose is essentially to enable users to accomplish their workflow, in the largest sense of the word. (This is more than what s addressed in the area of the.0 application labeled Workflow. ) A well-designed system with an efficient workflow can accommodate both the infrequent or new user who needs help doing tasks, and the more typical power user who is quite proficient and impatient of any roadblocks. Current Issues Common tasks, or the essential processes most users require, are not apparent in any helpful way. There are no helpful or articulated steps to help users know what to do, how to accomplish common tasks, and how many steps there are in a process. Power users may adapt, but everyday users will potentially struggle to remember how to do something because ) the model seems ambiguous and inconsistent and ) the application does not help the user understand how to do it. Goals streamlined user orientation core users understand and are guided easy access to key task flows logical presentation that breaks up tasks into logical order and groupings contextual orientation using numbering and presentation elements user s status within the workflow is apparent online help and instructional copy is clear and contextual ACTIONS meet with users to inform workflow process collaborate with internal team to develop informed and clear use cases address importance of clear workflow in prototypes and testing RESULTS the application accommodates and empowers users reduced learning curve and training time with explicit task processes users retain context without confusion even when they use the application infrequently WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl

6 VISUAL DESIGN AND LANGUAGE Visual design is the graphic treatment of the application s interface elements. It is also the representation of the company and its product s brand through visual elements and overall style. A visual design language is a fundamental aspect of the UI, as it aids in the understanding of how to use the product and how to navigate through tasks. Current Issues The product does not apply standard, well-known graphic design or interface principles to the visual elements and layout. While style sheets have been applied to upgraded versions, there is still an enormous potential to enhance the overall product and experience. An underlying information and organizational grid needs to be in place to group elements in a meaningful order, organize information throughout the application and help the user understand the functions and steps through each part of each section. A simple and well-designed visual presentation layer will go a long way to address client feedback, their needs and overall ease of use. Standard graphic design and interface principles applied to the visual look and feel of the interface will greatly reduce the confusion, inability to perform tasks and general user frustration. It seems particularly important to address visual design for a customer base whose job it is to manage brand resources. Their sensitivity to design, visual elements and the integrity of those elements is very high. This product should reflect WebWare sensitivity to this as well. Goals incorporate branding and identity standardize screen layout implement consistent visual devices develop consistent and use-appropriate terminology and nomenclature establish a functional vocabulary leading to consistent, predictable behaviors and actions ACTIONS establish relationships with internal marketing group review competition review best of breed examples RESULTS deliver on the expectations and standards of customers support professionalism and reduced sales and marketing cycles clear, consistent and repeatable branded style to be used by internal development WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl 6

7 Main Page Welcome message occurs twice on same page. User is greeted by their access privilege status name which is also redundant with information in the list below greeting. List of relevant items to user is unorganized and unprioritized. Some items are just facts (access privileges), while others are potential user actions, either for the application (preferences, comments, send ) or the user s workflow (recently catalogued assets, work groups). This makes it very difficult for user to quickly understand the state of the application versus the state of their actual work. Where is the user s ability to see what is on their plate e.g. what needs approval, which projects they have, their status, etc..? Quick Asset Search seems convenient here but doesn t visually look like a Search function tool distinguished from any other part of the list or this page. Language under Quick Asset Search is confusing. Do non- techy users know what a search string is? User is being asked to select at least one criteria, but what does that refer to below it? Which one is the criteria the user should select from? 6 Is there other information that would be helpful for the user to have here like what do you want to do? or Here are the three steps to do x and y and z. 7 What does new mean here? New what? 6 Assets? Collections? Everything? Is it important to distinguish different types of new items or events? This page delivers a small amount of information for the click. It seems that this function is, in fact, initiating a search by time from the Main page. While I would expect this to also be part of the options for searching in the Search area, it can be seen as a convenient feature. In this case, I would group it and characterize it in the same way Quick Asset Search appears on the Main screen. 7 There is enough space on the Main Page to accommodate choosing a time frame for new items and thus, combine all this information on to one page. WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl 7

8 Main Page (cont.) The results which are returned on this screen are really search results in list form. Users want a consistent way to think about the application and having search results come up in Main area instead of Search just adds to a lack of clarity about where actions happens in the application. Is there any reason for this page to, in fact, not be a results screen in Search area? What happens when this list gets really long? Are there other options for viewing it? Shouldn t I be able to sort this list by name, or date, or file type for instance? For less savvy users, choosing items on a list by holding down a key may not be so obvious. Are there other ways to select multiple items from this list as well? Letting users know when there is hidden functionality is important to them. Generally, there are no visual indications or signposts that help me to know where I am by the time I get to this page. Again, here is another case where it seems this Contact Sheet view is part of a search result. Now there is added confusion, as the primary button bar says I am in Main while the secondary blue tab reveals this is a search result. This lack of consistency about where certain actions take place will confuse the user. More about this page and its layout in Search. WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl 8

9 Search The types or choices of searches are hidden in a pull down menu. This menu does not help delineate differences in types of searches - simple or advanced versus a group of customized searches specific to a user or their privileges. Optimally, the searches a user relies on frequently should be the easiest to find. The screen real estate is not well used. The search fields are laid out so vertically that it forces the user to scroll often to see all the search constraints. The use of a single font and font size makes it difficult for the user to scan and find the most pertinent fields. There does not seem to be a organization or visual grouping to these fields that helps the user quickly move through the search. In many applications, the Search function is always available throughout the application. Frequently, it is also a pop-up or separate window function which sits on top of the task which the user is focused on. ( see page 6). Here, it acts as a place the user goes to which may or may not be optimal for the use of search in this application. Actually performing the search is the ultimate goal. The Search button should look distinct enough form the rest of the options to make it easy to find and use. 6 The layout of the Subject Picker makes it difficult to understand the various options here e.g. specifying a term vs.. browsing the Subject hierarchy. Why are the unpopulated field collapsed? Most importantly, it is very unclear how to use the Subject hierarchy. It is not clear that every time a user selects a subject, it automatically populates the subject field on the search screen. The behavior seems inconsistent - selecting a subject means performing an invisible action on it, instead of selecting one or more subjects, seeing those selections and then choosing the action - assign to Subject Field for example. Simple Search 6 Subject Picker 7 While being able to revise or refine a 7 search is a important feature - how this works here is unclear. What happens when I click this link? Also, what happens if the first search is about to bring up hundreds of results - does the user get any indication ahead of time, so they can choose whether they want to refine the search further? Refine Search WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl 9

10 Search: Results The organization of the information about the search results is not prioritized or grouped in ways that help the user distinguish between the organization of the view and the actions that can be taken. All choices look the same - there is no natural groupings of associated options through graphical layout or font choices. The series of buttons along the top of the Contact Sheet look like links not actions. They are also quite wordy and it makes it difficult to easily discern the actions a user can take. While color coding is frequently a very helpful device to show differences or states, the color coding here is not explained. It would be helpful to provide some form of legend or labeling for the particular color differences here. 6 The layout of the Detail View make it very difficult to understand how to red this screen. Each asset is not broken out separately and stacked vertically. Visual consistency of layout and how assets are represented in different contexts would be helpful. For example, why is the gray background different? Why isn t the name underneath the image? Search Results Why can t the user check on an image in this View to save to the clipboard? If the Inspector would allow a user to page through each assets while viewing a particular set of attributes, how helpful is this view to the user? 7 Detail View WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl 0

11 Search: Inspector It is not clear what the actual differences or benefits are to the different views. Again, wouldn t the Drill Down view be redundant with the Inspector is a user could page through each asset? Viewing and acting on an asset is one of the primary functions of this application. To that end, it seems more helpful to show the user all the options they have with an asset instead of using a pull down menu. While this saves real estate, it makes it hard to grasp and remember what the choices are. In terms of consistency of interactions, why can t the user check off this asset to put into the Clipboard from this view? Drill down View In the Enlargement view in the Inspector, what is the user viewing? Is this the full size of the asset? If not, what is the size/resolution of the actual asset and can the user view it at that size? Again, in this view, it seems more helpful to show the user all the options they have with an asset instead of using a pull down menu. All the important functionality seems to be nested or hidden when it s most important and useful in that context. Once the user is an a different view other than Enlargement, the asset s image is not present. It would be helpful to have a consistent visual reference, as in other views, the asset that is currently being inspected. It would also be helpful to label this window, the Inspector more prominently to help the user understand clearly where they are. Inspector Enlargement Inspector File Attributes WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl

12 Workflow: Routing Packages The way these choices are laid out and highlighted make it very confusing to know which one is actually selected. In addition, there has been no prior convention set for black versus white selections in the interface. Paging goes here The terms routed packages and workflow templates, at the second level of navigation, seem unclear and hard to understand in relation to the overall Workflow area. Are these places to review status or to take action, or both? What is a workflow template? Is it a template for routing? Are these groups of routed assets called packages? Workflow- routing-packages-templates- all new terms here for the user. Terminology needs to be clearer and some context needs to be set. Routed packages Most importantly, if a user comes here and just wants to route some assets, it is not clear what they would do to accomplish this task. Do I need to set up a template to do this? Am I creating a workflow, or a template, or a routed package? Where is create new x? 6 This directive Click on a package name to inspect it. looks visually like it is grouped with the options above, instead of being associated with the actual package lists below. The listing is where the user would actually click on a package. Directives, help or indications of what to do, have to be clearly associated with the task they are referencing. Display Packages is on an orange bar which implies that it is related to the list below. But it s far enough away that it seems a bit random. Routed package: Information view Links imply going to another location, or showing a new view, not an action like resorting the list. Lots of sites do this - use links for everything - but it does confuse the convention of when to use links and when to use buttons to initiate actions. At this point, it becomes clearer how 6 these black and white buttons work. There are now five options or views on the project available to select. This page is basically black, grey and white. What happened to the color that was used as background in the previous screens? 7 7 All these options to organize the content should be laid out in ways that minimize the valuable real estate above the fold and clearly delineate a group of controls that will be used consistently across a number of views. Routed package: Thumbnail view WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl

13 Workflow: Routing Packages Terminology - the word Matrix doesn t tell me what this view really is. Matrix of what? It seems that it is really the approval status for the project. When I Save Votes on this Page, what happens? Right now, it just appears to refresh the page. There is no confirmation that the save actually took place. What has actually happened here and how long will it be saved? How do I retrieve these saved votes in the future? If there are a lot more people who are part of this approval process, how will they be displayed in this list? Routed packages Matrix view Once I vote, when does this tally get refreshed? Do I care? How do I Submit my votes? When do I get confirmation that my votes have become part of the total? While all the functionality to add and view Comments is here, there is a tremendous amount of wasted space that will force the user to scroll to see valuable information. Consistent layout will help take advantage of this space. 6 6 The Comments section is extremely important. Graphics and some potential icons which indicate comments throughout the system would help here. This is a part of the application which takes advantage of the web and the web-based ability to communicate and collaborate easily... this should the emphasized in the interface. Can this be a threaded discussion? Routed package: Comments view 6 least? Should comments be separate or apart from voting? Or in a separate window at Sign Off has the function of giving the 7 user his or her current approval status and, in addition, presenting a report of how other have responded. The use of color and layout here to indicate actions that are still pending, how people voted, and what to do next, is critical to facilitating the potential success of the workflow amongst this group. 7 Can we add functionality to send an reminder for approvals? Routed package: Sign off view WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl

14 Workflow: templates When a user clicks on an existing template to view it and decides to make a variation on that one, does this replace the existing one or is this a Save As activity? It is unclear what the consequences of saving a different version of an existing template are. Is this Pop-up necessary? Could the additional functionality for adding and removing from a list just appear on the same screen adjacent to the Workflow Recipients: box? Once the user saves a new template, or uses an existing one, what do they do to initiate the new workflow? How do they associate assets with this Workflow Template? How does it get sent? Workflow templates: current list It was not clear that I needed to use the Clipboard to gather the assets the template. Workflow templates: create new Workflow templates: create approval list WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl

15 Collections: Search The organization of this list on the left obscures the key tasks I can perform here - searching for collections or viewing existing ones (public or private). As discussed in Search, being able to search for collections under the Search label seems more appropriate that dividing up the searches into separate categories. Search here might be helpful and could be redundant depending on how Search would be implemented in the future. Collections: initial page Clicking on Collection Search brings up the task of defining the query attributes for the search. Is there a way to combine this step or reduce complexity or apply simple/ advanced search strategy to this approach? Right now it takes a user a minimum of four clicks to get to a search result. Also, shouldn t this be called Search Attributes The third screen lets the user enter their search criteria. What does subject text mean? What kinds of things would be put in there? It s not clear. Collections: search attributes Collections: defining the search WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl

16 Collections: Search In order to fill out this search, the Subject Picker needs to be brought up. It is not clear how to select the Browse Terms items. Choosing one automatically adds it to the list. If the window obscures this action, there is no other feedback that this has happened. Nor is it clear whether choosing a subject closer to the root includes all the children underneath it. Once filled out, it has taken the user clicks to get a collection search done... The search results are displayed but I m not sure what I m looking at. Am I looking at a collection(s) or the criteria that got me x number of Collections? It s not clear. How many collections were found? I see this is of pages, but how many collections are on each page? It would be good to have a confirmation like Search Results - Collections found. Collections: defining the search Display Assets Using... also seems confusing. I m not sure which assets these are associated with - one Collection or all of them? Choosing Contact Sheet displays all assets. What collection is this a part of? How do I look at the other collections using this view? I have no sense of where I am in this space based on my search. This all looks so much like a result of an asset search, as opposed to a collection search. Collections Search needs to be more explicit in terms of indicating that I m in a different place or performing a different kind of Search at least. Collections: results While I can collect assets to put into my Clipboard in the Contact Sheet view, why can t I do the same thing from the Detail view? Collections: results in Contact view sheet WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl 6

17 Collections: Clipboard Should an asset indicate which Collections it belongs to? Is this helpful? Is there a view of an asset that lets me see all its affiliations, which Collections it belongs to or how often its been used or collected Once I move assets from my Search results into my Clipboard, I have traversed three separate areas of the application - Collections to Search to Clipboard in order to create a new Collection with some found assets. From a taskbased standpoint, I want to create a new collection, so I:. Search: search for assets ( individually and/or in collections). Select: select assets to put into a group via the Clipboard. Define: take selected assets, name a collection and assign the assets to it Collections: viewing an asset Let s talk about the implications of approaching the interface from a more task based standpoint. It is unclear in this interface that I need to create a new Collection before I can assign assets to it. In other words, I cannot collect assets and then name them. Why? It is also not clear that I would know to go to Manage Collections in order to create a new collection. Assigning the assets in my Clipboard, I have to take action. Selecting Clipboard Actions brings up a window with one pulldown. Why is this a separate window? Why do all these actions need to be initiated from this window instead of the Clipboard itself? Could the user see all the assets they choose to assign to a Collection in this window? Again, once I have collected these assets why can t I create a new collection at this point, instead of assigning the assets to an existing one? Collections: viewing the Clipboard Collections: Clipboard Actions WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl 7

18 Collections: Public Collections Once I collect assets in my clipboard, I can route them for approval - through Workflow. This is another example of where a task to accomplish a goal transects a number of different areas. For the user, this makes it difficult to model why these separate areas exist and what defines them in relation to each other. The Show Private versus Public collection button is a toggled state that should be consistent with other areas like Search Results/Clipboard toggles. As a user, I see the word Private and assume the list under it reflects private collections rather than a call to action. Manage Collections is so close to the list and looks so similar, it s difficult to easily see the distinction between the button and the list. The behaviors of items on this list - shown with underlined text - are very different from how it works in the Subject Picker. In this list, selecting a Collection shown as linked text brings up a pull down with Choose Action choices. Collections: routing assets This approach also makes doing something with a Collection yet another click away. And the whole time, none of the screen real estate is being used in any sort of meaningful way. The only sense a user has of what has been selected and is being acted on is a small label indicating the name of the collection. It is not easily seen and makes it difficult to get a sense of what is being acted upon and the context for this screen. Collections: options Collections: Edit metadata WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl 8

19 Collections: Manage Selecting Manage Collections brings up a Choose Actions pull down. Again, it seems like an extra click to get the actions I want to perform. I also don t really have any context for what managing collections really means. All it appears I can do it create one or delete one. Selecting one of the Collections from the list brings up an option to create a new collection as a child of my selection. My expectation was that I would see the Collection that I selected. The use of folders or container icons in this list would help here as well. If I am interested in creating a new collection under creative, what does choosing a Category mean? It s unclear why I have to do this here when it already knows it s a child of Creative which implies inherited categories, no? It would help me understand the nature of collections if I could see the list of my options for Choose Action. Given all the unused screen space, generating a dynamic list of options seems realistic and immensely useful. When I choose to look at a collection in Detail view why can t I click on the thumbnail and bring up the Inspector? This seems like a consistent behavior that would be important across the entire application Collections: manage Collections This page could yield a view of a lot more assets if it were designed to take advantage of the horizontal real estate of the screen. Collections: creating Public Collection Collections: detail view of Collection WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl 9

20 Collections: Select Edit Collection is confusing. I don t know if this is going to allow me to edit the Collection metadata or the actual assets themselves. The only way I can get back to the Clipboard is by going to the Contact View of Search Result, right? This is confusing and hard to model why only this view is combined with the Clipboard. I have not checked off any particular assets, so when I choose Clipboard Actions, which assets am I acting on? This implies that any action I take at this point applies to all assets on the Clipboard. This is confusing. Shouldn t I be able to pick a subset and then act on them, given I have collected a lot of different assets for possible different reasons, projects or collections? Collections: viewing an asset The Assign Assets to a Public Collection option brings up all the Public Collections in this window. Why? Why is this list duplicated here? The term selections here is confusing. I assumed this was referring to the assets I have selected on my Clipboard but instead it is where all the Collections I select appear so I can batch add assets to multiple Collections at once. A great feature, but completely obscured. Collections: viewing the Clipboard Collections: Clipboard Actions WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl 0

21 Upload While the function here is to upload assets via events, this feature could use some basic information to give the user some context. It s also strange to click on Upload and get to a list that is titled Events. This is a place where a stepped process might help give some sense of how complicated, or how long this process is, what it s for and how it fits into the larger picture of getting and semiautomating the ingestion of assets. This hierarchy is confusing. The zeros next to the names imply that there are no actual events and that these are just containers which have nothing in them. How can an event have a zero? Uploads: viewing Events Most importantly, it s misleading. Without clicking on Contract Content Providers, I had no idea that there was an event nested under this heading. Again, there is an implied hierarchy here which is confusing because it implies a folder-like structure. Choosing the Elizabeth Ann link immediately launches the FTP process. There was no indication ahead of time what would happen. Starting a process without letting the user know what is about to happen, so they can decide if that s the right task, feels unsettling. Particularly if it involves launching software or starting a process which you cannot stop until it s done. Making these choices more button-like and titling the list with Choose an event to Upload through FTP or whatever would help enormously. What happens after I have uploaded this event? Can I get some confirmation as to what has happened and what I am able to do next? Uploads: initiating the ftp process WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl

22 Events The organization of this list on the left obscures the key tasks I can perform here - searching for Events or viewing existing ones. As discussed in Search, being able to search for Events under the Search label seems more appropriate that dividing up the searches into separate categories. Searching Events here might be helpful and could be redundant depending on how Search would be implemented in the future. Clicking on Event Search brings up the task of defining the query attributes for the search. Is there a way to combine this step or reduce complexity or apply simple/advanced search strategy to this approach? Right now it takes a user a minimum of four clicks to get to a search result. This should be called Event Search Attributes. Events: Search The third screen lets the user enter their search criteria. What does subject text mean? What kinds of things would be put in there? It s not clear. Events: Search attributes Events: Search attributes WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl

23 Events After selecting Elizabeth Ann from the list on the left, the user has a number of choices for action. It would be useful to have the selection highlighted or reiterated as a title for this screen. It is unclear what event I have chosen otherwise. Why can t the actions that are available under Manage Events ( like create new or delete) be included in the action menu at the right? In the case of Configure Event Cataloging, it would be helpful to explain or layout the data fields below in a way that describes the relationship or the process that event catalog imparts on this set of data. This event functionality seems unique to an application like this and not as common a set of interactions. Anything to help people get a better sense of what is actually happening here would help a lot. Events: configuring Event Cataloging Couldn t this list, and others like it (upload, collections) come up in a separate window like Subject Picker? That way the list can be long, the hierarchy several levels deep, and the user can choose one item to act on by selecting/highlighting it. The Browser window becomes about acting on that object and utilizing the real estate and choices accordingly. When Edit Event Metadata is chosen, shouldn t the Subject Picker fields come up populated? I m not clear why I see Event Assets 6 at all. Aren t Events actually set up to tag assets and associate them with Categories and/or Subjects? Events: Edit Event Metadata 6 Events: View Asset Events WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl

24 Catalog Select an Asset Category seems like a confusing title for Step. It s difficult not to see the Mac and PC buttons and think that the title is referring to them. I m really selecting a file type for a Asset Category, right? Am I cataloging a group of assets or an asset category? How long can this list get? Again, it would be very helpful, as a user, to understand what Cataloguing is and what tasks take place in this space. Catalog: selecting an Asset Category The Upload, Events and Catalog sections are not differentiated enough from each other to understand what I would accomplish in each. It s confusing, especially as this is something a user may not tend to do very often. What happens after I Catalog this asset category? What kind of confirmation do I get and what can I do next? Catalog: Steps and WebWare MAMBO.0 Audit 0..0 K. Rosendahl