Research Reports

A High-Fidelity Usability Evaluation of Iteration 3 of the New American FactFinder Web Site: Increased Functionality

Erica Olmsted-Hawala, Jennifer Romano Bergstrom, and Jennifer Chen

ABSTRACT

In March of 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Center for Survey Measurement (CSM) conducted a usability evaluation of Iteration 3.0 of the newly designed American FactFinder (AFF) Web site. The usability testing evaluated the success (accuracy and efficiency) and satisfaction of participants with the increasingly higher fidelity site. As the site was still in production, not all the data were loaded into the system. However, all screens and links were working.

Tasks were developed to gain an understanding of whether users understood the Web site’s search and navigation capabilities as well as some table and map functions. Usability testing revealed several major findings, including confusion about how the geography overlay worked and lack of understanding of how the different components of the faceted search all worked together. This report provides a complete summary of this usability evaluation, including methods, findings and team decisions based on our findings. Future changes to the AFF site should be evaluated for usability to maintain the iterative approach towards improvement that has been adopted.

CITATION:

Erica Olmsted-Hawala, Jennifer Romano Bergstrom, and Jennifer Chen. (2011). A High-Fidelity Usability Evaluation of Iteration 3 of the New American FactFinder Web Site: Increased Functionality. Center for Survey Measurement, Research and Methodology Directorate (Survey Methodology #2011-12). U.S. Census Bureau. Available online at <http://www.census.gov/srd/papers/pdf/ssm2011-12.pdf>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Statistical Research & Methodology

Published online: September 28, 2011
Last revised: September 28, 2011