In Technology, we’re always looking for new ways to collaborate with other members of the Simmons community to get a fresh perspective on how we are contributing to Simmons and in what areas we could improve our services.

During the Fall 2012 semester, a group of students in GSLIS Professor Rong Tang’s Usability and User Experience course applied their knowledge to conduct a thorough evaluation of the Simmons Connection website. Working with Senior Web Developer Shino Ito, the students, Eric Gibbs, Lin Lin, and Elizabeth Quigley, researched usability studies for similar websites, designed a usability test, and recruited other students to participate in it. After the study sessions were completed, the GSLIS team analyzed the results and made recommendations for usability improvements on Simmons Connection.

The recommendations they included mirror several areas where we have focused attention based on previous feedback. Their work validated anecdotal evidence we had received from our customers and provided us with useful suggestions for how to improve the usability of the site. We’d like to thank them for their work and recognize the value of these kinds of projects that provide constructive feedback and give students experience and knowledge they can apply in their careers.