{"id":107,"date":"2023-11-18T18:40:58","date_gmt":"2023-11-18T18:40:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nua-ux.design\/robert-atsumi\/blog\/?p=107"},"modified":"2024-04-16T18:06:58","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T18:06:58","slug":"conducting-usability-tests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nua-ux.design\/robert-atsumi\/blog\/uncategorized\/conducting-usability-tests\/","title":{"rendered":"Project 2 Conducting Usability Tests"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Details and insights from 5 usability tests and thematic analysis<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key part of my evaluative research for Project 2 involved conducting 5 moderated usability tests on the ecommerce website Bullet Journal<\/em>. Moderated tests involve observing real users interacting with the site while completing representative tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For each test, I asked the participant to navigate the site and purchase a specific product – a journal in this case. Throughout the sessions, I took notes on areas of difficulty, confusion, or hesitation that came up for the users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While I won’t include full transcripts in this post due to length, I was able to uncover insights and pain points by reviewing the tests. Common issues included unclear navigation, difficulty finding the right product pages, and problems moving items to the cart and checkout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I documented the usability test sessions through partial transcriptions, screen recordings, and commentary on the key findings. This raw data will allow me to make informed design recommendations to improve the site’s user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you would like to review the usability test details, I’ve shared a link to the full documentation on my Miro board at the bottom of this post<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What did I find out<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The information below was made using Thematic Analysis. A friend currently studying psychology in year 3 at UEA helped with the process. I did not conduct a full thematic analysis but used the principles and approach to help make the qualitative data I had from the interviews into something I could work with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Interview users<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Transcribe interviews<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Review transcriptions and get comfortable with the data<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Create “codes” that represent the heart of the issue\/comment the user raised<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Create more codes to further define<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Put codes into “themes” themes being a group of codes that have similar topics<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Create insights with Themes and how often each occurred.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Below is the Themes with codes and then the insights I made from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Visual Design Inconsistencies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    • The inconsistent aesthetics across the homepage and product pages confused users and made the overall branding feel disjointed. A more unified, professional design style is needed.\n
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      • Inconsistent design fancy vs plain<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Inconsistent “Shop Now” vs “Shop” buttons confusing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Homepage Confusion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        • The purpose of the ornate homepage infographic was unclear to users. Prominently featuring reviews on the homepage would better engage visitors.\n
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          • Confusion about purpose of homepage infographic<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Desire to see reviews<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Boring visual design<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Homepage hierarchy issues – deleting\/rewriting text<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Navigation\/Findability Issues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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            • Multiple users faced difficulty locating the shop and purchasing journey. Streamlining site architecture and simplifying calls-to-action would improve findability.\n
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              • Difficulty finding how\/where to purchase<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Difficulty finding shop location<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Difficulty finding product page<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Small, hard to find shop link<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Confusing to select region first<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Dropdown menu hard to see<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                Product Page Clarity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                • While users appreciated the simplicity of the product pages, more detailed descriptions, features, and visuals are needed to differentiate the journal options.\n
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                  • Appreciation for clear navigation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Likes simple layout and links<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Likes product description and bullet points<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Not enough product information<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Problems with discoverability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    Trustworthiness Concerns:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                    • The high pricing and checkout functionality issues like missing payment options diminished user trust and perceived credibility of the site. More transparency is needed.\n
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                      • Shock at high price<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Checkout issues – no meta\/Amex options<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Functional issues – images won’t enlarge<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Bugs cause unease<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • no shipping costs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                        Positives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                        • Users responded well to elements like the header animations, subscribe CTA, and standard checkout flow. Maintaining these strengths while improving pain points will optimize the experience.\n
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                          • Positive reaction to header animation and buy link<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • Appreciation for clear navigation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • Likes subscribe box<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • Familiar checkout builds confidence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                            Insights<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            Overall, the key insights gleaned from the thematic analysis of user interviews indicate there are significant issues with the website design and purchasing process that are hindering the user experience and ability to easily buy the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            The primary areas for improvement centre on:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                            1. Fixing visual design inconsistencies across site pages – the fancy vs plain aesthetic is confusing users. A more unified, professional brand style is needed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            2. Improving homepage clarity – the infographic purpose is unclear and reviews should be prominently featured. Cleaning up the homepage design will better engage users.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            3. Streamlining navigation and find-ability – multiple issues around locating the shop and purchasing the product point to a need to simplify site architecture and calls-to-action.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            4. Adding more product details – users want to understand what the product options are. Providing more descriptions, features, and visuals will resolve this.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            5. Building trust and confidence – pricing transparency, visible reviews, and bug fixes are needed to increase credibility and conversion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            6. Maintaining positives – keep elements users responded well to like the header animations, subscribe box, and standard checkout.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                              In summary, the primary opportunities centre around resolving design inconsistencies, simplifying the purchasing journey, adding more product details, and building credibility through transparency and functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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