“Using a Computer for the First Time, So I Feel It's Hard”: A Qualitative Analysis of Usability Pain Points for Blue-and White-Collar Users in an 86-Participant User Study

Abstract

Digital library services often have diverse user bases, yet most usability studies have focused on white-collar users with better access to technology and training. This research thematically analyzes the transcripts of 56 blue-collar and 30 white-collar participants (N = 86) to identify problems (i.e., pain points) using two digital library systems for which the blue-collar participants were generally unsuccessful; the white-collar participants were all successful. Moderators played a much larger role in the blue-collar sessions, speaking 84.35% of the total words spoken, compared to 58.52% in the white-collar sessions. Our findings indicate that blue-collar participants encountered several usability issues, were hesitant to explore the system, and primarily expressed pain points related to their own experiences. In turn, white-collar participants had fewer usability issues, were willing to experiment by ‘just clicking’, and most pain points focused on the system. Blue-collar workers were also less able to articulate their usability issues. Findings highlight digital divide concerns in information access and the use of digital library services; we offer theoretical and practical recommendations to improve these services and for research with diverse occupational user groups.