We recently went through a similar redesign. Through extensive card sorting and usability testing of new and experienced users, we found that keeping the old (albeit non-ideal) terminology was often the best compromise. Experienced users just got too lost if we renamed functions and topics that they had used for years. The exception to this was functions that even experienced users had trouble finding/understanding, which we renamed using card sort results as a guide (then re-tested with other users).
As we have fairly low turnover, these experienced users make up a very high percentage of our audience, so keeping some of the status quo was a better overall decision than a 100% overhaul. We also did substantially more user testing of the navigation/terminology changes than a typical design change, which corrected some mistakes early and gave us confidence in the changes we did make. -----Original Message----- It's an employee intranet portal which had been operational for around a decade. The UI wasn't changed one bit in all this time. Later the organization decided it was time to move on and did the best they could with the UI design. For a few weeks the new (completely overhauled) design lived beside its older cousin and the users had the choice to peek in while still continuing in the old mode. One day they launched the new avatar. Now this overhauled UI has a new information architecture - complex if one is accustomed working in the order scheme of things. Links that were easily spotted previously had been moved around and/or hidden under heaps of fancy labels. When I went looking for one frequently visited section, it took me a good 10 minutes to find it!! That's unacceptable and a waste of employee time. My question is, how does one accomplish the difficult task of introducing a new design? how does the organization shift seamlessly from the older version UI to the new one without any surprises for the user? how can the user begin using a new system starting from where he left it earlier? Thanks in advance for all your help. ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
