Web Survey Results
220 total survey responses; the following are total percentage results and selected comments
1. How do you access the Duke Law School web site?
30% - Typing in the Address
35% - It is my hompage
16% - Through the search engine
19% - By bookmarked pages
Other: email link, LSAC, www.duke.edu, Mozilla
2. How would you characterize the representation of the Law School through its web site?
40% - Very positive
47% - Positive
10% - Indifferent
1% - Negative
2% - Very negative
3. How does the Duke Law web site compare to that of other law schools with which you are familiar?
10% - Far better
46% - Better
35% - About the same
6% - Worse
3% - Far worse
4. Please explain:
"Sites like those for Michigan, Cornell, South Carolina, William and Mary are too information focused. Ours has more personality. It is evident from the homepage that Duke Law has students and that we actually enjoy our time here. And, I like that the designers were not afraid to use color. Law students and prospective law students are creative people too. Other law school sites are usually drab using olive, grey or tan and the school color."
"The website's homepage is improved over what it once was, but it is still less interesting and aesthetically sophisticated than homepages of other law schools, notably U. of Virginia, Texas, Cornell, Yale, Harvard. These homepages feature multiple photos accompanying their hyperlinks, whereas the Duke site usually only has one or two photos (maybe only the one large banner photo across the top)."
"I think that the redesign of the law school's website ... was little short of disastrous. The current trend in INFORMATIVE website design is towards clarity, minimalism, and standardization. This website takes exactly the opposite approach. In addition, one plays to the strength of an institution... Absurd proportion of photo to text. I want information, not silly pictures. So do the visitors from the outside. Impossible to navigate location of information. Barely literate text... (I'd be happy to provide examples) Fussy profusion of fonts and colors -- I once counted 14 different fonts and colors of text on one page. Ugh. Unprofessional tone and content. ..."
5. What are the primary areas that you visit on the Law School web site? (check all that apply)
(These numbers are actual participant responses, not percentages.)
108 - The Homepage
82 - About Duke Law
82 - Admissions
75 - Faculty and Scholarship
108 - Curriculum
56 - Centers and Programs
31 - Clinics
31 - Student Affairs
27 - International Studies-
18 - Alumni and Giving
67 - Library and Technology
61 - News and Events
24 - Career Center
6. Do you use the links at the top of the homepage to show a customized panel of information?
38% - Yes
30% - No
32% - I did not know this option existed
7. Describe your ability to navigate the Duke Law School web site:
24% - Very easy
43% - Easy
13% - Neutral
38% - Difficult
1% - Very difficult
8. Are you able to find what you are looking for on the site?
34% - Always
44% - Often
18% - Sometimes
4% - Not often
0% - Never
9. Characterize the user experience of the Duke Law School web site:
25% - Very favorable
49% - Favorable
13% - Indifferent
11% - Unfavorable
2% - Very unfavorable
10. What specific areas of the site do you think are successful? (check all that apply)
(These numbers are actual participant responses, not percentages.)
3 - All
83 - The Homepage
80 - About Duke Law
77 - Admissions
43 - Faculty and Scholarship
51 - Curriculum
35 - Centers and Programs
31 - Clinics
21 - Student Affairs
15 - International Studies
10 - Alumni and Giving
33 - Library and Technology
48 - News and Events
13 - Career Center
7 - None
11. Why are these areas successful?
"I have been able to find what I need when I need it -- The look, feel is consistent, most importantly the search engine is easy and accurate."
"Easy to navigate, comprehensive, professional, and aesthetically pleasing."
"The areas selected above are the only areas I have visited extensively since the re-vamp. They are right-to-the-point, and very clear. The website manages to appear professional and classy, without losing sight of what should be the primary goal: easily supplying visitors with the information they wish to obtain."
12. What specific areas of the site do you think are unsuccessful? (check all that apply)
(These numbers are actual participant responses, not percentages.)
4 - All
27 - The Homepage
5 - About Duke Law
6 - Admissions
9 - Faculty and Scholarship
12 - Curriculum
4 - Centers and Programs
1 - Clinics
9 - Student Affairs
2 - International Studies
7 - Alumni and Giving
14 - Library and Technology
14 - News and Events
10 - Career Center
47 - None
13. Why are these areas unsuccessful?
"Things are not located where they should be intuitively."
"There are so many headings, I have to look all over the page to find what I need."
"(1) The navigation jumps all over the place -- and is often in two different places at once without any apparent reason or purpose... (2) Visually, the site is incoherent. The pictures are large and often not very attractive. They take up space that could be more usefully employed for things that the users need -- like, coherent navigation. (3) The text on many of the pages is just plain silly..."
14. How do you feel about the look of the web site?
32% - I really like it
41% - I like it
15% - I am indifferent
9% - I do not like it
3% - I really do not like it
15. What do you like most about the look of the site?
"The bold colors and backgrounds."
"It's clean and easy to navigate."
"The size and boldness of the new logo, the idea of the big picture."
"Well organized. Easy to read."
16. What do you like least about the look of the site?
"I don't like the font on the left column. I think there is too much white space."
"Have to scroll down on homepage to see anything useful."
"The navigation is on the right, then on the left, then on the right. This needs to be consistent. It is a pain to have to go back and forth or side to side."
"The big picture on the home page."
17. Are you familiar with RSS feeds?
68% - Yes
32% - No
18. Do you subscribe to RSS feeds?
15% - Yes
85% - No
19. Do you subscribe to any Duke Law RSS feeds?
2% - Yes
98% - No
20. Do you have any other comments or suggestions concerning the Duke Law School web site?
"Overall, it's a very visually appealing site - but don't sacrifice usability along the way! Simple things like the search functionality being in the expected location would be really helpful."
"It is probably the most appealing of the top-tier law school websites I have visited."
"Websites are functional: they are supposed to convey, and help people find, information about their subject. This notion needs to be introduced when revising this site."
"I keep finding new things every time I visit because it's just that extensive -- I love it."
To request a copy of the full results, please email webcomments@law.duke.edu