Abstract

In this paper we report the findings of a field study in a first-tier law school and on the resulting redesign of XLibris, a next-generation e-book. We characterize a work setting in which we expected an e-book to be useful, and explore what kinds of functionality would bring value to this setting. Working with a user community allowed us to examine tandem issues of XLibris usability and utility, and to redesign the interface to suit their needs. We describe important aspects of legal research, including mobility, reading, annotation, link following and writing practices. Based on this study, our redesign addressed issues of navigation, mobility, and form factor.