2010-06-17 ベクター外装などについてのテクニカル・ブログ
ウィキメディアのテクニカルブログで、新しい外装について（特に検索窓への変更点について）説明記事が出ました。
http://techblog.wikimedia.org/2010/06/usability-why-did-we-move-the-search-box/
読むのを兼ねて、ヘボ抄訳＞＞
■ なぜ検索窓を右上に？ 
Usability: Why Did We Move The Search Box?
（検索窓を動かしたのはなぜ？）
Posted by Erik in mediawiki, wikimedia on June 15th, 2010
On May 13th, we changed the default appearance of the English Wikipedia to use the new look developed as part of the Wikimedia Usability Initiative. On June 9th, we unveiled the new look in the remaining top 9 languages (by access volume). Other languages will follow in the coming weeks.
私たちはWikimedia Usability Initiativeの一環として、5月13日、英語版の基本外装を新しいものに変更しました。6月9日には、アクセス量で英語版に続く2位から10位までの言語版でも新外装を導入しました。
The key elements of the new design had been in public beta testing for many months, and hundreds of thousands of users had already adopted the new look. But, nothing compares to the real thing, and we tried to make the switch as painless as possible — by offering a quick way back to the old layout, by explaining our reasoning, observing and listening to comments carefully, fixing bugs and implementing changes quickly.
新外装のキーポイントは、何カ月も公開で行われたベータテストで試用されてきて、数多のユーザーがこの新外装をすでに利用しています。しかし、実物に勝るものは無いので、私たちはできるだけ苦痛なく切り替えを行おうとしましたーー前外装に簡単に戻せる方法も提供しつつ、注意深く説明し、バグを修正し、変更を素早く実装し・・・
The single most frequently expressed concern about the changes we’ve made is the relocation of the search box from the left sidebar to the top right corner. This blog post will give an extended explanation of why we made the change, the other changes we made to the search, and what we’re planning to do next.
今回の変更で最も多く提示される懸念は、検索窓を左のサイドバーから上の右隅に移動したことについてでした。このブログ記事は、なぜこの変更を行ったかという説明に加えて、検索に施したもう一つの変更、ならびに次に何をしようとしているのか、を説明します。
■ 以前のサーチボックスの位置
The old search box location
The default location of the search box in MediaWiki, the software used by Wikipedia, is below the “navigation” box in the top left corner. This was also the location in the English language Wikipedia, as well as many other language editions. Some language editions, including the German one, had customized the location of the search box, and moved it directly below the logo.
メディアウィキ*1の検索窓の位置は、以前のデフォルトでは左トップの「ナビゲーション」ボックスの下に当たりました。これは英語版を始め、多くの言語版で取り入れられていました。ドイツ語版などいくつかの言語版では、ロゴの直下に位置するようカスタマイズされていました。
■ 検索の使いやすさについて分かったこと
What do we know about search usability?
There are essentially three factors that influenced our decision to relocate the search box:
* common user expectations regarding the placement of the search box on web pages, as determined by the preexisting body of usability research;
* usability research regarding ideal search box width, and implications for the search box placement in our layout;
* ability of our test subjects to locate and use the Wikipedia search box, as determined by Wikimedia usability tests in a research lab.
検索窓を動かすにあたって、3つの要素が考えられました：
- 既存のUsability調査によれば、ウェブページで、一般利用者は検索窓がどのあたりに位置すると期待するものか、
- 理想的な検索窓の幅、レイアウト上で予想される位置に関するユーザビリティ調査
- ウィキメディアのユーザビリティ・テストによって決定されたように、ウィキペディアの検索窓を配置して試用するability of our test subjects（ここ、日本語にならないです、ごめんなさい）
There are several scientific studies that have examined the ideal placement of common objects on web pages. One early study by Michael Bernard conducted in 2001 by surveying participants regarding the expected placement of web objects such as internal links, external links, and search found that both new and experienced web users “generally expected internal search engines to be located in the upper and bottom-center of a web page. A smaller number expected it to be located at the top right of the page.”
ウェブページにおける共通機能の理想的な配置についての科学的な研究がいくつかあります。2001年の先行研究では、ウェブを使い慣れていない人と使い慣れている人、どちらも、内部検索はウェブページの上部と下部中央、あるいは右上部に期待されることが多かったようです。
This study was followed up five years later by A. Dawn Shaikh and Keisi Lenz (”Where’s the Search? Re-examining User Expectations of Web Objects”) in a survey of 142 participants. The study found that expectations had changed significantly, especially regarding the placement of the site search engine. The figure below illustrates the areas where participants expected the search to be found:
その5年後の別の調査（142人参加）では、期待される位置がかなり変わって、検索窓の期待される位置は・・・右上隅が一番多く17%という結果でした。
As the authors speculate and as seems intuitively plausible, early expectations of the placement of the search box were likely driven by the fact that search was commonly associated only with search engines of the time like AltaVista, not with site-specific searches. As more and more sites developed internal search functions, those were increasingly placed in slightly less exclusive screen real estate than the top center, shifting users’ expectations to look for search features in the top right corner.
初期の調査では、アルタビスタのようなサーチエンジンが主に連想されて中央上部が期待されていたのに対して、その後、多くのサイトがサイト内検索を取り入れて行くにつれ、ユーザーは右上コーナーに検索窓を探すようになってきたのです。
Another factor that may have influenced user expectations is the common placement of search engine features in the top right corner of the web browser window.
ユーザーの期待に影響を与えた要素として、もう一つ考えられるンは、ウェブブラウザの検索窓が右上コーナーに配置されていることです。
There are practical advantages of positioning the search in the top right. As summarized in this research paper, several usability studies have pointed out a key advantage of navigational elements being placed on the right: it gives immediate access to the browser scrollbar. This is particularly valuable when a) scrolling up and down a list of search results, b) scrolling up and down an article you’ve just called up for information.
右上コーナーに検索窓を置くことには、実質的な利点があります。ナビゲーション的要素を右におけば、ブラウザのスクロールバーにすぐ移動できるという利点が挙げられています。これが特に貴重なのは
a)検索結果を見るのに上下にスクロールしやすい
b)検索結果から呼び出した記事を上下にスクロールしやすい
という点です。
■ 検索窓の幅と位置が意味すること
Search box width, and placement implications
A separate body of research examines the question what width makes a search box user-friendly. A search box that is too narrow obscures the user’s query while typing, inhibiting their ability to complete their search quickly. Usability luminary Jakob Nielsen recommends an ideal width of 27 characters.
また別の研究で、検索窓の幅はどれくらいが読者に親切か調べた者があります。幅が狭すぎると、ユーザーが検索語をタイプするときに見えにくく、検索を迅速に完了する妨げになります。ヤコブ・ニールセンは理想として27文字の幅を推奨しています。
The old search box is approximately 20 characters wide, the new search box accommodates 24 characters. More importantly, due to the placement of the old search box in the sidebar of the layout, widening the search was impossible without either relocating it or widening the sidebar.
以前の検索窓は、およそ20文字の幅でしたが、新しい検索窓は24文字に対応しています。さらに重要なのは、検索窓をサイドバーに置いていると、検索の幅を広げるには、検索窓の位置を変えるか、サイドバーを広げるかするしかなかったということです。
The search box placement in the top right allows us to maintain a fixed standard width from one page to the next, while giving us maximum flexibility as to what that width should be. To make it even easier for users, we are experimenting with an expandable search, which is currently deployed in our sandbox 3. When you click the box, it will expand significantly to the left. We may or may not end up deploying this feature as we continue to look at ways to make search more accessible and user-friendly.
検索窓を右上コーナーに置くと、基本設定をほとんど変えることなく検索窓の幅設定が変更できます。
の検索窓をクリックしてみてください。パッと広がったり戻ったりするでしょ？！
Our own research
In the course of the usability and user experience work since last year, we have so far completed a total of three usability studies, all of which are documented on the usability wiki:
* Usability and Experience Study (March 2009)
* Usability, Experience, and Progress Study (October 2009)
* Usability, Experience, and Evaluation Study (March 2010)
These studies included both remote and San Francisco based participants. While the primary focus of our studies were obstacles people encountered when editing, finding search in the navigation was clearly one of them, and our test subjects tended to resort to common web search engines to navigate Wikipedia instead of using the site’s own search. With the new search box placement, users’ ability to find and use the site search was markedly improved. One user intuitively used the search box in its new location and then consciously realized that it had been moved. To see videos of the other subjects finding and using the search box with ease, please see here.
For those unfamiliar with usability testing, it’s important to note that small samples and agile, iterative tests are commonly understood to be an effective method for discovering most key user interface issues. Our sample sizes were actually larger than strictly necessary, and more diverse than typical due to our use of remote testing methods.
With that said, we didn’t test the English Wikipedia against other languages which had placed the search box directly below the logo, and we recognize that this alternative placement is already an improvement to match user expectations. However, based on the cited research above, as well as the design reasons for moving the search box to the top right, we still believe that the overall case for moving the search is compelling even for those languages, if slightly less so.
■ 「なぜ動かしたんです、前の方がよかった！」
So .. why did you move the search box? I liked it where it was!
In sum, we moved the search box to a) match web practices and user expectations, b) make it possible to widen it consistent with common usability recommendations, c) in response to actual observed problems of test subjects when using the old search.
要するに、検索窓を動かしたのは
a)ウェブ利用者の期待に合わせる
b)幅を変更しやすくする
c)以前の検索窓であった問題を解決する
ためだったということです。
We also recognize that millions of Wikipedia users had adjusted to the old placement, and will now have to re-adjust to the new placement. However, Wikipedia’s global audience grows by tens of millions of users every year (it is currently at 375 million unique visitors/month world-wide), and we hope to grow it by hundreds of millions in this decade. That will require that we adapt to common user expectations, rather than expecting every new user to adapt to us.
This will unfortunately inconvenience those who have adapted to the old placement. Do we absolutely know that to be the correct decision? No, but the fact that existing users are temporarily inconvenienced by it is not at all indicative that it is not.
以前の位置に慣れていたユーザーは切り替えに抵抗があるかもしれません（もうしわけありません）。ですが、ウィキペディアのユーザーは、今のユーザーだけではないのです。新しいユーザーにウィキペディアになれるよう要求するのではなく、一般に期待される位置に置く必要があるわけです。
■ その他の変更
Other search changes we made
It’s worth noting that the search box placement isn’t the only thing we changed about the search function. Perhaps most notably, the old search had two buttons (”Go” and “Search” in English). If you asked even an experienced user what the difference between those buttons was, you would get wildly different answers, and bug 577 had been open since 2004 because of this.
To answer the mystery: the “Go” button attempts to find an article with the same title as the entered search term and, if it fails, runs a full-text search of all articles. “Search” will always run the full-text search. “Search” is necessary where you want to search for a word instead of displaying the article of that title (say, you want to search for instances of “George W. Bush” all across Wikipedia).
In the new design, the less common case (search all across Wikipedia for a phrase, regardless of exact match) can be accessed using the “containing …” option in the drop-down menu. We believe this is both a more discoverable implementation, and it reduces overall clutter and complexity of the search.
以前の検索窓にはボタンが二つありましたね。慣れた人でも「表示」と「検索」がどう違うのか、明確には答えられなかったと思います。「表示」と「検索」の違いが分かりにくいというはなしbug 577(( Bug 577 - Go and search button are confusing)）は2004年からすでにあったようです。
実は「表示」はタイトルで検索して、だめなら全文検索。「検索」は最初から全文検索、という設定でした。
新デザインではドロップダウンメニューで
「この語句を全文検索」（“containing …” option）
が選べます。こちらの方が、探しやすいし、無駄な動きが減らせると確信しています。
■ 今後の変更予定
Measures and coming changes
We are monitoring overall search volume. In the first week since the deployment, we have observed neither a statistically significant increase nor a decrease in search volume, but it’s too early to draw conclusions. There are also confounding variables. As noted above, the search box has changed not just in placement, but also in appearance and behavior. Finally, search volume isn’t the only interesting metric: search convenience (how long does it take users to, on average, find the search) is another one.
「検索しやすさ」も大切です。
We’ll try to get our hands on solid metrics, but we’ll also continue to look for ways to make search more user-friendly (such as the auto-expansion), fix bugs, and so forth. In continuing our efforts to improve the user experience of all our projects, both for new and experienced users, we’ll try to share our thoughts with you frequently, and work with you to figure out the right answer. And, if you just can’t get used to the new search — you can always switch back to the old layout, which will continue to be there for you.
これからも、よりユーザーフレンドリーな道を模索していきます。これまでのユーザー、新しいユーザー、どちらのためにもなる改善を求めて行きます。私たちの考えを皆さんと共有し、正しいい答えを皆さんと協力して探します。でも、どうしても新しい検索に慣れない、ということなら、いつでも前のレイアウトに戻せるよう、そこに残してますからね！
Warmly,
the User Experience Team
Wikimedia Foundation
http://techblog.wikimedia.org/2010/06/usability-why-did-we-move-the-search-box/
（ヘボ抄訳ここまで）
ということで、新外装。検索窓についたボタンが一つになったのは分かっていたのですが、ドロップダウンメニューの一番下に出てくる選択肢
「この語句を全文検索」
を使えば、以前の「検索」というボタンと同じことができる、という仕掛けだったのですね。これからは、ちょっと意識して使ってみます。
メモ：Wikipedia:使用性改善/フィードバック/まとめ
*1：ウィキペディアで用いられているソフトウェア