Ingrid Pohl
www.pested.org

The usability of the Web site of the Agricultural Resources Center and Pesticide Education Project, a non-profit environmental advocacy organization, was investigated to determine if the site effectively communicates the mission and goals of the organization. As successful Internet communication is strongly dependent on the presentation, navigation, and quality of information, these three constructs were used the guide the evaluation.

Through surveys, interviews, and the observation of eight participants interacting with the site, this study found that participants perceived the content on the site to be valuable, trustworthy, and of high quality. However, the usability of the site interfered with participants' ability to successfully experience or learn from the content. Participants requested more opportunities to take action and a clearer, stronger message about the objectives and services of the organization. Participants' perceptions guided a number of recommendations to improve the site's ability to effectively support its mission and goals.