The Project

Review of BNHM's search interface

These comments are the result of a review of the BNHM website in June, 2004. This is a combination of comments, falling into categories such as editorial suggestions, heuristic usability evaluation, and sharing web tricks. I placed particular emphasis on the search/browse functionality of the website, including applying what we learned from the MaNIS Interface project. I've tried to come from the perspective of someone new to BNHM and the UC Berkeley museums, and even to the science presented in these pages, and identify what such a person might need. If some of these comments are too particular, be assured that I mean them in the best way, seeing myself as an advocate for the BNHM to grow in its role as a high-quality resource for both the participating museums and its public audience.

I've organized the comments roughly by the page that they apply to. Due to time constraints, I have not attempted to link the heuristic evaluation comments to any particular usability principle that they arise from, nor have I prioritized the comments in any way. In fact, the format below is quite casual. I'm sure some of them are cryptic - I'm happy to clarify. Parentheses are sometimes used to indicate a hyperlink.

Contents:


overall tricks

  • Use "title" tag in hyperlinks throughout to give more information about what happens if you click on that link. It provides a tooltip when the user mouses over the link, and looks really slick. And well-written, concise tooltips provide users a preview of what will happen if they click on it, which is good usability. Example: <a href="browsepage.html" title="browse lists of organisms and places included in the BNHM database">browse</a>
  • For reducing junk e-mail, you might wish to use the Enkoder to scramble the bnhm@email.address. (and jdeck@ on disclaimer.shtml, addresses on reporting_errors.shtml)

^top

front page

current page | screenshot of reviewed page

  • MVZ & UJH links, and onion creek & hans jenny links, on left have strange spacing/wrap effect on rollover.
  • Consider mentioning somewhere - front page or query page - that the MVZ covers mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians; Essig is insects, UCB is live plants, herbarium is plant specimens, etc. The scientific names aren't necessarily obvious to the public/young.

^top

the left nav bar

current page | screenshot of reviewed page

  • "Navigation" isn't necessary. It's implied - and it's confusing as a title to a section, because it implies that the other sections don't have navigation.
  • The Home/Browse/Query/News/Features/Calendar links should show which section you're in, when you're in one of them - perhaps by inverting the color of the little box arrow, and that hyperlink no longer being active.
  • Consider using Search instead of Query - more user friendly, and more accurate english.
  • Navigation links don't turn color to show I've already been to a page. They should - even if the change is subtle. This is good usability practice and provides feedback to visitors about the structure of the website. It is particularly important & helpful since you have multiple ways of getting to the same tools/pages.
  • "BDI Seminar" isn't user language...No idea what it means unless you go there. People tend not to click things unless they have some idea what it offers.
  • "Natural History Collections Portal" is hard to understand b/c of the word-wrap.

^top

news/index.php

  • Consider making it easy to subscribe to the e-newsletter, by providing a field for entering an e-mail address, and a "subscribe" button. See an example. Subscriptions received this way can involve an e-mail confirmation process.

^top

about/missionstatement.php

current page | screenshot of reviewed page

  • change " (see the BNHM Homepage for links to these museums and field stations). " to "(listed and linked to on (BNHM Homepage))"
  • anchors on the four subsections are below the titles to those subsections, so as the page leaps down, you can't see the title anymore. Move the anchors to above the title, possibly even a few lines above.
  • Hyperlink the description, not the "click here", and write to help scanning: "Adult programs are offered, too. The Jepson Herbarium has a series of ((botanical and ecological workshops)) held at locations throughout the state, and are designed to accommodate a range of backgrounds from beginners to specialists. ----The UC Botanical Garden also hosts a series of ((classes on botanical subjects)) at the Garden's setting in the Berkeley hills.---"
  • ditto:
    "We propose to move forward towards creating a network capable of delivering real-time content to researchers engaged in analyzing critical issues in biodiversity monitoring and analysis. Using this (technical architecture (.pdf)), BNHM's online offerings will expand -- to include data on genomics, climate, and species observations. "
  • ditto:
    Before: " The Features section of our website describes a few examples of research projects at BNHM. The individual museum and field station web pages accessible on the left pane also have links to many ongoing projects. We rely heavily on external support from many different sources to fund projects such as these."
    After: " The BNHM rely heavily on external support from many different sources to fund many ongoing research projects. Our (Features section) describes a few examples, while more projects can be found on the left menu under Projects and on the (individual museum and field station web pages).

^top

about/origins.php

  • sentence fragment in second paragraph: "A disappearing landscape"

^top

events/calendar

current page | screenshot of reviewed page

  • want a next month button to scroll forward with one click. Also a previous month, or a current month button, to get back
  • long, standard text isn't exciting - develop the stuff in parentheses a little more...to be more like it is related to this event, less like it comes from a system. Eg. of long standard text: "(Registration Not Required. There is No Fee. Check URL attached to title or check sponsoring institution's homepage before attending this event.)" Much better to have a little icon that indicates "Registration Required!" in the margin on the left, for those events that need it.Use a dollar sign to indicate fee needed, and perhaps add a separate line where this is displayed. Also, when getting the submission, get the URL that people should check! And say: Check (website) before attending.
  • "sponsoring institution" isn't user's language....

^top

browse/

current page | screenshot of reviewed page

  • need feedback on rollover on the icons of plant taxonomy, etc, too. Something must flicker to help users distinguish that the icons are clickable.
  • add "example searches" link here?
  • wow - by countryandstate/province - way too much to scroll through! What can fit on one page? Maybe have an example where the state/provinces show, and the rest hidden by triangles so you can see more countries. Also, can you indent the different levels of content so it's easier to tell them apart?, eg. indent state/provinces under each country
  • Cool to see preview numbers!
  • when I clicked "view specimens" from the browse page, I didn't expect to see a form, I expected to see results.
  • Taxonomy - give me more of the tree structure, not just the one level I'm at. Try three levels. Give me indents so I can see the levels, in addition to using the formatting to highlight the branch I'm going down. Give me bread-crumbs describing the branch I've gone down, and make the terms hyperlinks to navigate back up the tree, and give me a preview the next level down if feasible, so if I don't know which one to choose, I have more info. Make the preview numbers appear for all levels that I see, and make the preview number the hyperlink to view the records. When I click that hyperlink, go to the results page, not the query page.
  • "view specimens" isn't true - I'm seeing a list of specimen records, which isn't nearly as interesting for the novice - is there a better term?
  • the title - "Browse xx for all museums" - the "All museums" part doesn't make sense when I'm looking at the taxonomy that is specific to one museum's collection...too wordy.
  • same comment as for geography applies to the vertebrate taxonomy - too much for the page!!
  • It would be nice to have some common names, at the class level at least.
  • usa counties - same comment about too much on a page. Notice that the column divides up funny, so one is really long & the other is short. I need to know more about what major categories are on the page - which states - for example, American Samoa was a surprise! Remove the "State/Province" before the state name - unnecessary. "Unspecified" should probably be "county unspecfied", and it should probably always go at the top or bottom of the list, rather than in alphabetical order. Changing the preview number to be the hyperlink will help avoid the wrapping of "view specimens" onto the next line.
  • Why not have more letters in the letter hyperlink list, so less on the page??
  • When I click Plant Taxonomy, the page reads Browse Plants by Class and Order. When I click one of the hyperlinked names, it says Browse for xx for all musuems - and I no longer know that I'm in Plant Taxonomy. Need some indicator of which taxonomy I'm browsing in...and perhaps don't want it to say "All Museums"
  • Plant photos - run a testing script & don't list plants that don't have photos...like Berberidaceae: Berberis dictyota. Could also put a (photos) link after the names that do have photos in the main plant taxonomy structure. Can eventually get to Google photo link on the calphoto page, but would be cool to have it listed next to the browse link - replace (view photos) with (calPhoto) - (Google Images). Similarly, if Google images doesn't have any results, don't list it... In line with the statement on the About BNHM page: "easy access to spectacular specimens within the collections" - you might wish to rate the photos. Star Calphotos of fab specimens could get an extra little star icon to help locate them among the sea of jawbones & leg bones...

^top

query/

current page | screenshot of reviewed page

  • Use some indicator on the "Simple" link to show me that's what I'm doing - don't make it a hyperlink unless I'm in one of the other modes.
  • Simple/example/advanced/browse are modes - Modes are generally negative - can we avoid them?
  • people don't read - let's re-name & recontext Simple/example/advanced/browse so they don't need explanations. How about ..."Basic Search of Collections (Advanced) " "Advanced Search of Collections (Basic)" as the page titles. Then have "Example Searches" as a hyperlink, and "Search by Browsing" as additional hyperlinks just underneath.
  • help page should be prominently linked from here, not just at the bottom of the sidebar. Even better if the user interface can make the help page obsolete..
  • "query specimens" sounds like I get to ask them something....not the user's language. our shortcut tongue. Try - "Find specimens"
  • "Museum" is brief...maybe it is "Search these museum collections:"
  • Use the picture icons introduced on the first page for the museums.
  • "taxonomy" doesn't work if it includes terms like obsidian. Perhaps: "For objects/specimens of:" and then edit the descriptor to be "Scientific name, common name, or term describing a cultural object "?
  • for the view options menu, you might show it as a list, with radio buttons, rather than have a menu - that will help people see what the options are before clicking on anything.
  • view options - provide the grouping options on the results page - that way you can offer the ones that are relevant. I tried it for a set but didn't see anything, because the results were all from one museum, all one county! I'm not sure "table" is user's language either....
  • text layout/wrapping is strange around the Taxonomy box - try putting the examples under the box?
  • "Search by all available options and filter by member museums" doesn't make sense - I see the member museums here now. Also, "all available options" doesn't ring any bells or convey meaning. Consider putting "more options..." links in the appropriate parts of the form that would "expand" the form to show more fields.
  • If you don't recommend that I map things from the query page, then don't let me do it. Also, you don't call anything a map - it's a "GIS view-point distribution" which definitely isn't user's language!
  • swap the view results & reset button - people will generally want to click the right-most button, and making that the reset button isn't kind!
  • I love the preview counts in the country list, and the way the state/province lists appear smoothly. (should it be state/province here, if it is important that it be state/province elsewhere? )
  • extra verbage: View Options  Display Options: 
  • suggest introducing the abbreviations for the museums in the listing on the query page...(mvz, phma, etc)
  • "Time view - x" is the same as "Graph Date Collected", right? pick one and use consistently.

^top

query/ - advanced

current page | screenshot of reviewed page

  • when I come from the simple search page, my settings for which museums to search in aren't preserved.
  • extra/confusing verbage: Cultural Objects   Culture:
  • on culture list, Unspecified should probably be at the top, not alphabetical.
  • extra verbage: "To select a County first choose a State" etc. Suggest: "Choose a State first."
  • Geography section - has fields that are nested, and fields that aren't, interspersed - causing confusion. Also, I can specify Africa and Brazil on the same form - can also specify a Location and a continent that are incompatible - shouldn't work, or at minimum on re-fresh or on results page it should give me a warning...
  • If I uncheck the PHMA and click Refresh, the Culture field should grey out, and not be part of a query if I hit "view results". Currently shows a large number of unspecified objects.
  • If I uncheck the UCMP, the Geologic time feature should grey out. And not be part of a query if I hit "view results".
  • consider: if a Class is selected, automatically uncheck PHMA. If PHMA is re-checked, un-select the Class.
  • consider - automatically re-fresh the data in the pick-lists if the change to the museum checkboxes means they should be.
  • what's the logic in having separate scientific name and common name fields? Are there likely to be productive searches with separate entries in them?
  • putting "sinker" in scientific name gives different results than putting it in Common name, because these don't apply to PHMA terms. If there's any advantage to the Advanced search, surely it has something to do with this increased clarity about what you are searching for? So consider dividing the screen up so that the 5 museums are searched with the taxonomy fields, and the PHMA is searched with two new boxes for object & descriptor.
  • conservative sorting on the results page will get rid of the need to do anything with the Order results menu, except for the catalog number. Perhaps make that a checkbox. (do people use this?)
  • the Show only specimens with photographs is a great option - perhaps it should be checked by default if the search needs to be truncated...perhaps it should be on the results page as an Option - either to limit or to highlight those records with photos...
  • The preview counts and updated pick menus are great - take it those few more steps to avoid users specifying impossible queries!

^top

?results/

current page | screenshot of reviewed page

  • If no results - suggest fields in query that might be in conflict (try to develop interface so that this isn't possible). Suggest terms that are spelled similarly to those entered.
  • If I come from a Browse-ing click, I want to get back to it. a link should exist here to do that. If the results match a Browse link - that is, they would map to one place, not to lots of places on the tree - perhaps the parts of the query that map to those places could be hyperlinks back to the browsing page.
  • The results are shown on a page with a title called "Browse" - wierd for getting back to (the page title doesn't make sense in the "Back" button menu).
  • add icons for the view options - maps, table, graph, etc.
  • "View SQL " is geeky - and impressive - but is it necessary? It seems like a debugging tool, better tucked away in the URL for you to use if needed. A good interface should mean a user never needs to see the SQL...
  • Too many results on one page, shouldn't have to scroll down so much. Also, too spaced out b/c not using the abbreviations for the museum names. Consider sub-category type of display so more can be reviewed without scrolling.
  • Notes: "8848 rows were returned for specified resultset" Not user's language. The resultset is right above - why not say "8848 specimens found." (Can "rows" be replaced with "specimens" or "objects" throughout?)
  • Not the users' language:
     "Your query was truncated to 100 rows for one or more specified museums (How to View All Records in this Set)"
    Try something like - "Your search matched 145 records. 100 are shown here. An additional 34 records are available from the MVZ, 11 from UCBG.( Show all records), or (download all data) " where the text is hyperlinks that performs those actions, rather than training the user to think about your system. Be sure to show the number that would match, so they know what to change in the box. Or show all the results as a series of pages....Flamenco or Google style.
  • Since the country & state are all the same, why have the links that allow sorting by them? People won't be able to see any change - confusing. Or they will see a change - not one that they specified.
  • Sorting should be conservative - clicking a new link should maintain as much of the order as possible from any previous sorts....currently seems to default to sorting by museum.
  • Skip "view details" - make the scientific/object name itself a hyperlink to the detail record. Or have a record number that is the hyperlink - this will make more room on the page.
  • The common names still need help - people need the bird/monkey/frog/insect/plant level of info, and perhaps it should sort on that, too. That will also help with the entries that don't have much info.
    BTW - Desmodus rotundus is a blood-eating bat.
  • Consistency: I see "Group on: Decade" in my query display from the example link about Yosemite collecting, where it graphs how many collected in each decade. But when I click on Group by Name at the top, it doesn't give me a graph, and I don't see any grouping effect. Perhaps a sort. The other link says Graph Date Collected, but shows "Group on" in the query. Also, since I am looking at Graph date Collected, there should be an indicator & that shouldn't be an active hyperlink.
  • Below, it says "Number of Specimens Collected by Decade for all Museums in Specified Query" - leave off "in Specified Query" - that's implied. And is inconsistent with "resultset" above.
  • Try to get rid of Notes section - only show it if needed - and get rid of the "be patient.." line! Give feedback about how long it might take, or show results as the come back, but don't have a standard "be patient!" (especially when it seems incredibly fast to me!)
  • Consistency - "View all specimens" is the table view, right? Use same words. Also, it's called "Browse" there, but "view" on the query form page...
  • Consider making Map Results the hyperlink to do just that.
  • Consider being able to change the view here on this page, not requiring a return to the search form.
  • "modify current query" isn't user's language. Also, put this hyperlink within the query, or at the end of the query - related to the query display.
  • the museum name can be the initials when it is in the column, and can have a title tag so that on rollover it gives the full name as a tooltip, and clicking can go to the museum website.
  • When looking at the detail page for the PHMA objects, it says "Specimen Account" - should it be "Object Record"?
  • Don't show the Map Results link - or grey it out - if none of the found set are georeferenced - like if found from PHMA.

^top

single-record view

current page | screenshot of reviewed page

  • taxonomy hierarchy & geo hierarchy deserve better display - emphasize the new info, not the KPCOFGS terms. Try to think about the info from the user's perspective, rather than the database perspective....perhaps concatenate Genus & Species into a scientific name; perhaps consider the bredth of the search to determine which terms will be most helpful for grouping/distinguishing among the records (in a search for mammals, Kingdom is less relevant, Order is more relevant. In a search across all museums, Kingdom or Class may be very relevant).
  • Bring photos in - perhaps calphoto can be a web service?
  • grey out the link if no photos
  • on results page, highlight records with photos.

^top

query/doc/help.php

current page | screenshot of reviewed page

  • Mentions "* Only appears if 'Complete' Query Options is Checked " but it's no longer called that on the /query/ page.
  • Out of date: The UC Botanical Garden will and Essig Museum of Entomology will be accessible by January 2003.
  • actually, the description is just plain out of date. And the text is too small! probably only need this for the Advanced search.
  • footer with links to QueryIndividual Museums seems to need review - it duplicates the Tools section on the side nav bar..

^top

query/download.php?

current page | screenshot of reviewed page

  • this is a dead-end - I should at minimum be able to go back to the query from here & modify it. Also good to have the rest of the nav bar, etc.
  • "could be quite large" - well, take a look at the number of records & tell me if it is going to be huge if it is, or don't tell me if it isn't - and perhaps even give an estimate of the size.
  • "This operation" is not user's language.
  • "Results are stored in TAB delimited format with field names stored in the first row." - mention that it is a text file, .txt? Is the verb "stored" best?
  • Informative display of how many results, from where.
  • Again - can "rows" be replaced by something more meaningful, like "specimen records"?
  • Also Consistency - "records" is used below.
  • "Download Query Results For the Parameters above (please be patient after clicking this link as this operation may take some time to complete depending on the number of records) " - a "download the file" button or link is fine. Skip the extra words. And give me an estimate of the amount of time, based on the number of records....or don't give the message.

^top