BHO Issue 9: 'Users have no way of re-ordering a list'

Page

Listings and source

Heuristic

Subjective

Description

Listings pages are sequenced by an editorial weighting: if a user remembers a source by time period, or by name, they have no way of re-ordering the list. Although source pages are arranged alphabetically, they may be structured by time period but authored in a non-linear sequence; alternatively, later volumes may be more comprehensive than earlier ones.

Impact severity

High

Recommend

Add in-page options to change the sort order. Configure some sources to be sequenced differently by default.

Examples

The Survey of London is being added to but newer volumes currently appear at the bottom of the listings, well below the fold.

New volumes appear right at the end (large descriptions also don't help scrolling)



Quantitative measure

[Use the Lords Journals series]: if you wanted to see the most recent volumes first, click where you expect to be able to re-order this list

Actual question

Please click on where you'd expect to re-order this list to see the most recent volumes FIRST

Initial click test result ('before')

July 2011, 200 responses.

'Before'



Development change

Added toggling pair of links, Sort A-Z and Sort Z-A, right-aligned beneath search text box (Survey of London on British History Online).

Modified interface



Follow-up click test result ('after')

September 2011, 154 responses.


'After'



Reflection

Clear grouping on correct sort function but still a few looking for this feature on the left hand side. In hindsight, that is where the search sort functions were located (see earlier Issue 3) and it compounds the recurring theme that the site needs a clearly designed and consistent layout for a control panel, to be used wherever appropriate.