DIY usability lab & testing with little or no budget

Usability testing uncovers problem areas with a site. But not many do it, or do too little because of perceived complexity and cost. When you have limited time and budget, build your own usability lab and get results. A low-cost usability lab will be demonstrated using readily available hardware and software and results from testing our library website will be shared.

Scott Olszowiec has been designing solutions and strategies for the web since 1999. He is recognized for his innovative and award winning design. He was Acadia University’s Web Manager from 2000-2008. He then did a tour of marketing and investor relations with a global reinsurance company before starting his own design and media consultancy. In May 2016, he returned to Acadia and is currently the Web and User Experience Specialist at the Acadia Library.

Maggie Neilson is an Academic Librarian at Acadia University’s Vaughan Memorial Library. Her role primarily revolves around liaison responsibilities with the Jodrey School of Computer Science, the Ivan Curry School of Engineering, the Earth and Environmental Science Department, the Environmental and Sustainability Studies Programme, and the School of Kinesiology. In addition to the collection development services, instructional sessions and research assistance she provides to these disciplines, Maggie also has coordinating responsibilities in government documents, the library’s discovery layer, and geospatial and numeric data.