In an effort to improve the usability of the JSTOR archive, JSTOR has introduced a new design for its web site interface. Work on the interface was initiated in June of last year, and the prototype of the new design was introduced to librarians at the January ALA meeting in Washington, DC. Since that introduction, we have received extensive comments and feedback from both librarians and users. That feedback was an integral part of the redesign process. After incorporating these suggestions into the design, the new interface was released in early March.

The impetus for modifying the interface emerged from user testing sessions conducted by JSTOR's User Services staff at the University of Michigan. Librarians, faculty members, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as first-time JSTOR users, were asked to assess the current site after completing a series of common tasks. Their comments and suggested improvements were combined with those we have received from participating librarians and users over time. Sherry Aschenbrenner, User Services Coordinator, and Beth LaPensee, Interface Support Librarian, then began to redesign the site to achieve two goals: (1) to create a more efficient design that would reduce page loading times and highlight searching options, and (2) to improve navigation.

The most significant change to the interface is the removal of frames. JSTOR's original site contains three separate frames on each web page. The primary reason for the use of these frames was to keep the navigation bar always on the screen, but that persistence had a cost.

"When you have three frames, the computer needs to load three separate files for each web page, and that increases the time it takes to download," explains Aschenbrenner. "With just one page, it will be faster for the end-user."

The revised site will display everything in a single, non-framed browser window. A global navigation bar will now be located at the top of every page.

Fig 1. An article in the new JSTOR interface.

Fig.2. An article in the old JSTOR interface.

"We found, through user testing and comments, that the gray buttons on the left-hand side of the page sometimes blended in with other elements on the screen and users didn't notice them," notes LaPensee. "Bringing the navigation bar up to the top and giving it color positions it into the user's line of view."

Another noticeable change will be the ability to move directly to the "Search" and "Browse" pages without clicking through "Enter JSTOR."

"Users told us that it was a step that they would like to bypass as they became more familiar with the resource," Aschenbrenner continues. "As people use JSTOR more frequently, they know immediately where they want to go. We also found that many libraries currently guide their users to the 'Search' and 'Browse' pages directly, so that was further confirmation for us that users would find it useful to be able to search or browse directly from the main page."

JSTOR's "Search" form has also been altered to make it more intuitive. Now, the steps needed to complete a search successfully will be numbered to guide people through the process. Also, the required entry fields have been grouped at the top; the optional steps are together at the end of the search form.

Fig. 3. The Basic Search page in the new JSTOR interface.

Another step taken to improve the site was to reorganize the "About JSTOR" section. It has now been broken into four audience specific sections: About JSTOR (which contains general information about the organization for participants and non-participants), Resources for Librarians, Resources for Publishers, and Participation Information. This is intended to make it easier for all types of users to find the information that is relevant to them more quickly.

Says Aschenbrenner: "We tried very hard to properly balance ease-of-use with improved functionality throughout the new interface. The redesign of the interface is the first step in a long-term development plan, and will serve as the foundation for enhancements and new functionality that we intend to offer our users in the near future."

Last updated on September 8, 2006