Usability

Test
Comparing the Bureau of
Land Management and
Forest Service websites

By: Katie Tiller

Contents
Introduction:................................................................................................................................................3
Methodology:..............................................................................................................................................3
Test Environment.........................................................................................................................................4
Test Metrics.................................................................................................................................................4
Likert Scale...................................................................................................................................................4
Results:........................................................................................................................................................5
Task 1- Find jobs..........................................................................................................................................5
Task 2 - Find contact information.................................................................................................................6
Task 3 - Find volunteering information........................................................................................................6
Task 4 - Find maps.......................................................................................................................................7
Task 5 - Find education opportunities..........................................................................................................9
Task 6 - Find fish and wildlife information.................................................................................................11
Task 7 - Learn about regulations................................................................................................................12
Task 8 - Find information on recreational sites..........................................................................................14
Task 9 - Learn how to submit a FOIA request.............................................................................................16
Task 10 - Provide Feedback........................................................................................................................18
Summary of Scores....................................................................................................................................19
Recommendation(s)/Conclusion:..............................................................................................................20
Appendix 1: Raw Data Sheets....................................................................................................................20
Bibliography...............................................................................................................................................29
Introduction:
This white paper compares the usability of the websites for
the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. A
usability test is used to do so, where ten different tasks will
be analyzed and rated for how easy or difficult each one is
to complete for both sites. This is done to compare how
user-friendly the websites are and the accessibility of the
information for those seeking it, assuming users have
average technical ability. Typical users include anyone who
recreates, works, or uses public land in any way and wants
to learn more about them.

Methodology:
Ten tasks were selected to test their usability. These tasks
are as follows:
1. Find jobs
2. Find contact information
3. Find volunteering information
4. Find maps
5. Find education opportunities
6. Find fish and wildlife information
7. Learn about regulations
8. Find information on recreational sites
9. Learn how to submit a FOIA request
10. Provide Feedback
Test Environment
This usability test was performed on November 8, 2018 in a
quiet room and without any distractions. A model 14 HP
Pavilion Notebook PC was used to search the websites on
the latest version of the chrome.

Test Metrics
1. Effective: the task was achievable
2. Efficient: the task was completed in a reasonable
amount of time
3. Engaging: the appearance and style enhanced user
experience
4. Error Tolerant: errors were easily corrected
5. Easy to Learn: easy to learn how to do a task

Likert Scale

Strongly Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly

Disagree Agree
1 2 3 4 5
Results:
Task 1- Find jobs
It was very easy to find information about jobs on the
Forest Service website under the ‘Working with Us’
option on the task bar is located at the top of the home
page, as shown below.

It was relatively easy to find job information on the BLM

site since it was also on the home page, but it was
located at the bottom rather than the top under
‘Careers.’
Summary of Scores
Task Bureau of Land Forest Service
Management
Find Jobs 22 23
Find contact 24 24
information
Find volunteering 25 25
information
Find maps 25 21
Find education 24 25
opportunities
Find fish and wildlife 24 25
information
Learn about 25 23
regulations
Find information on 23 24
recreational sites
Learn how to submit 25 17
a FOIA request
Provide feedback 25 20
Total 242 227

Recommendation(s)/Conclusion:
Overall, after completing this usability test, it can be
concluded that both websites were relatively easy to use for
people with only average technical experience. Based on
the scores, the BLM site was more user-friendly for the way
in which the website was designed and how much time it
took me to complete the tasks. It scored very high in the
efficient and effective test metrics, much more so than the
Forest Service’s websites, as you can see in the raw data
tables. The two tasks that determined which was more
usable included learning how to submit a FOIA request and
providing feedback. If I were to suggest either site to any
typical user, I would suggest the BLM site if you like things
to be quick and easy to access.

Appendix 1: Raw Data Sheets

Bibliography

Bureau Of Land Management

https://www.blm.gov/

Us Forest Service
https://www.fs.fed.us/