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Recommendations

Recommendations

Owned by Christine Golus
Last updated: Mar 05, 2025
8 min read

2/26: Overall recommendations
3/5: Allocations
3/12: Operations/Metrics/Support
3/19: ACO
3/26: Login/Accounts


SEARCH
Make the search box the first thing you see after clicking on the search icon in universal nav. Users consistently passed by the bot. - COMPLETED

NAVIGATION

  • Home page icon - move to left of ALLOCATIONS within the universal nav. Some users are missing the icon (obscured by Find info for you and search icon).

  • Remove HOME from Allocations global navigation.

  • Consider changing “Programs & Organizations” to “CI Community” (Collaborators, Community Members, SysAdmins, Support Personnel, Campus Champions, etc.)

  • Either add chevron to Find Info for You or show the dropdown upon mouseover

  • Ask all sites to create breadcrumbs so people can see exactly where they are

  • Footers

    • In universal footer make “contact us” bigger

    • Adjust spacing on universal footer: glossary link and other footer links blocked by QA Bot

    • In track mega footers add title so it is not confusing for user – e.g. ACCESS SUPPORT

  • TBD: Should Systems Status button or RP links appear with universal nav or add to Resources page.


FINDING COST INFO

  • Add the “at no cost to you” language to the intro paragraph on each page such as:

    • Track landing pages

    • About (main)

    • Allocations landing page, Allocations Policies?

    • Events & Trainings (“Like ACCESS, trainings are at no cost to you.”)


POLICIES: CYBERSECURITY


VIDEO

  • Discussion: Add video links or video embeds on key content areas - how to log in, allocations, resources, etc.

NEWS/ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Discussion: People prefer to get updates for news/outages/opportunities/trainings emailed to them (via newsletters/affinity groups/etc.)… don’t necessarily come to the website to get this information.

TABLET/MOBILE FUNCTIONALITY

  • Discussion: Most users are on desktop. One user had trouble with some features on a tablet. Waiting for their input.

CONTENT

  • Discussion for future improvements:

    • Avoid repeatable content across tracks – e.g. Get Involved, About content

    • Avoid “walls of text” create scannable text using H-tags, bullet points, etc.


RECOMMENDATIONS BY TRACK

ALLOCATIONS CROSS-TRACK:
RESOURCE CATALOG

MY: While addressing these recommendations, I want to keep us focused on the primary purpose of the resource catalog, which is to help researchers in selecting resources.

  • Move list of RPs in the filters down as people are less likely to care about that than what the resources can do

  • Consider adding more links to this page since many users go to the Resources page to find information:

    • Changing “Browse resources” yellow button to “Search software”

      • MY: I agree that we should include a software search, but I’m not sure that I want to eliminate the “browse resources” button. The analytics data from Clarity shows that some users are clicking that button. Ideally we should integrate the software search into the catalog instead of sending users away to the SDS page, but that will take some effort.

    • Link to information for Resource Providers: https://access-ci.org/get-started/for-resource-providers/

      • MY: My concern about adding RP links/information to the resource catalog is that it may confuse or distract researchers, who are the primary audience for the page. If we want to have RP-specific information included in the catalog, I think it needs to show up only when an RP user is logged into the site.

    • Link to “systems status” on this page

      • MY: Current and future system outages are already shown on the resource pages under “Announcements and Events.” I think what’s needed is an affirmative indication that everything is good in cases where there are no outage alerts.

    • Link to “credit exchange calculator: https://allocations.access-ci.org/exchange_calculator

      • MY: Like the software search above, I think it makes more sense to integrate this functionality into the catalog rather than sending users away to a separate page.

  • Make sure Resource descriptions at the top level are helpful – what is the system and what type of projects is it good for.

    • MY: I agree that some of the resource descriptions could be improved. I’m not sure who is the best person to work with the RPs on updates.

  • Add tool tip or link to understand what OnDemand means: https://access-ci.org/glossary/#OnDemand

    • MY: Adding descriptions to the filters is planned as part of the integration of Operations badges later this year.

  • On individual resource pages consider button text change from [Get Started with OOKAMI] to [Get Started] or [Get a Project/Allocation/Credits] etc.

    • MY: We need to be careful about the language here, because not all resources in the catalog are ACCESS-allocated. (For some, clicking the “Get started…” button takes you to the RP’s website.) Eventually, I’d like to have smarter behavior for the ACCESS-allocated resources that does different things depending on whether the user is logged in, has an existing project, etc.

  • Is there other explanatory text that would be helpful with wait times section in Resources catalog? Currently reads: These metrics describe activity from ACCESS projects. Many resources have additional projects that are not part of ACCESS.

    • MY: Getting users to understand the wait time metrics has been tricky. The current text is meant more as a disclaimer than an explanation. (Some RPs were concerned that it looked like their resources were not busy, when in fact, many have non-ACCESS projects that aren’t represented.)

  • Do we have copy about process if needed software is not installed on a Resource? - which RPS would install for you or let you install?

    • MY: I think this is going to be different for every RP. My suggestion would be to direct users to the resource’s user guide for instructions on bringing their own software.


ALLOCATIONS:
PROJECT TYPES

  • In project type comparison table “Supporting grant duration or 12 months” consider “12 month or (supporting) grant duration”

ALLOCATIONS:
POLICIES

  • Could the eligibility requirement be summed up, in a table or checklists? Hard to get info quickly

  • Clarify eligibility text for Discover, Explore related to students and staff.

  • This information gets lost for users:
    You can have financial support from any funding agency or source and still be eligible for an allocation.
    Even if you don’t have any funding, you are still eligible for an allocation. However, PIs without funding are only eligible for one allocation, while PIs with funding awards can receive as many allocations as they have awards.

  • Remove hyphen in graduate-student on Eligibility

ALLOCATIONS:
CREDITS

  • Be sure to use consistent language regarding Credits and Units throughout. If they are the same thing, only use one of those words.

  • Provide better guidance for first time users on next steps after they receive an allocation/credit. Make it clearer how/when to exchange credits for Resources.

  • Provide better guidance for experienced user on how to manage a Project upgrade and remaining credits. Current language is confusing. “The initial allocation for the access credits will be half the total amount for the new opportunity, minus the amount consumed at the smaller scale.”

  • Are start up credit no longer available (like on xsede)?

METRICS:
XDMOD

  • Create more pathways to XDMoD – particularly post-login

  • Add more information/instructions on how to use this tool since it is complex for educator/grad student/researcher

  • A lot of sysadmins/RPs use this on their phone

 

OPERATIONS:
RESOURCE PROVIDERS

  • RPs may have the perception that the site is not for them, and this may make it harder for them to find the information for them. How can we make a more findable place for RP info? Link from Resources?

  • RPs can use clear and concise documentation about distributing news

  • RP staff may need better ticketing documentation. If RP staff is recommended to use RP ticketing form we need to make sure they are finding it easily.

  • We should make RP Slack space easier to find

  • Simplify how an RP joins the RP Forum – is the RP Forum an Affinity Group?

  • How can we make integration roadmap less confusing, or at least guide the right audience there but not confuse new people who are still getting the basics.

  • Improve content on the Get Started RP pages clear steps on requesting to become an RP, what happens after you create a log in

  • Note for operations to check video here to see if there's a redirect issue (1:02:02) - Lissie to clarify




SUPPORT:
RESOURCE ADVISOR

  • Very popular with users. Libraries misspelled.

  • Results go to Operations results vs. Resources page

SUPPORT:
SOFTWARE DOCUMENTATION SERVICE

  • When using search it is unclear you are viewing results – highlight keyword search in yellow

  • Connect this functionality to Resources


SUPPORT:
COMMUNITY

  • Should all volunteer/get involved activities happen under “Community”? Users having trouble finding volunteer/get involved activities (users may not really have the bandwidth to volunteer with ACCESS).

  • No Educator Affinity group (Educator user would like one)

  • Can we improve search-ability of Affinity Groups by anticipating what keywords RPS(and others) may be searching with?

  • Should all Affinity Groups be alphabetical and not grouped with ACCESS groups first?

  • Users need a clearer understanding of the different ACCESS slack channels available. Should this be a page under Support > Community > Slack Channels?

  • Add some text to differentiate skills vs interest on community personas. - Lissie to clarify

  • Is there a way for a user to volunteer as a mentor for Match Services?

SUPPORT:
SEARCH

  • See where we can improve keywords for typical user searches.


ACO:
ABOUT PAGE

  • Consider changing “Acknowledging” to “Citing” if that’s the more common term. - Dina to check with her communications team

  • Should “get involved content” live in Support > Community? - Discuss with tracks, note duplicate Get Involved content with Allocations

  • Should the ACO About page include information about each track, track’s won’t need an About page? - Discuss with tracks, note duplicate About pages


ACO:
GET STARTED PAGES

  • FOR RPs: Get rid of “How to get started” accordion. This is just about getting an ID. Incorporate this as a step within the “How do I integrate my resource” and then make it clear what is the next step after logging in, requesting to become an RP, open a ticket to become an RP? - work with JP to improve next steps for RPs see comment above under Operations RPs work with JP

  • FOR ALL: Consider logging in Step 3. Why log in when you don’t know about resources and the ACCESS process. Will not implement

  • FOR ALL: Move quick links to top of the page for experienced users. - Will look at changing verbiage at top of page – If you already have an account welcome back. Login or find helpful quick links below. - COMPLETED

  • Consider Research Support persona, If we are not considering a 6th persona consider adding some thing like this to the Community Persona intro “supporting other people's research” This may be addressed with the new persona name CI Community - Dina to check in with her team CI Community.

  • Add video links when possible, for login example - Q to create video icon plus ink, check in with Lissie on video learning center, who owns videos?

  • Better wording (to include software, on demand, etc.) for “Are there tools available to run projects?” - work with Lizzie

  • Do we want to include more Case Study Stories for a variety? Videos? More educator user stories would be helpful. - point user to news stories? work with Lizzie

  • TBD: Perhaps add Glossary links elsewhere on the site, such as in quick links on each landing page, the Get Started page. - add to quick links?

  • Include “how to” language on Get Started persona pages about credits – ie. “Once you've got some ACCESS Credits in hand, you can submit an exchange request from the true My Projects page” https://allocations.access-ci.org/exchange_calculator - work with Allocations

 

ACCOUNTS

 

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