The tests we've been conducting at the national meeting have been very successful thus far. We started on Sunday and have been going every day til now. There are two topics we are investigating: search/findability and member's emotional context with ACS.
We've had about 10 participants so far for each and we are using the new Noldus labs to help record the data.
Findings have been very interesting and we've seen some definite patterns in user behavior on ACS sites. In terms of search--users expect there to be some integration between the major sites: c.org, C&EN, and ACS Pubs. Some of the test search environments we set up before hand have resonated very well with members.
As for design and interaction with ACS, most see it as a large, well-known organization with lots of influence in the profession. Not a lot of warm fuzzies when they think of ACS, but when it comes to the web, they have some clear preferences for how it should look and feel. Results will be coming soon.
As for the lab--it ROCKS! We can get PIP image of the participant's face and the screen, and the Observer will analyze the data for us.
