Responsive Web Redesign
UX Research
UX Research
Project Brief
The project required deep analysis of the existing website information architecture and design to recommend redesign and improvement opportunities. The project followed UX Research and design practices with an iterative approach to it.
Responsibilities
UX Research Lead, Documentation, Data Analysis, Prototyping
Tools
Adobe XD, Marvel, Tobii Eye Tracker, Pinup
Introduction
What is Choice Program?
The Choice program at UMBC is a non-profit organization administered by The Shiver Centre at UMBC. They provide intense advocacy, jobs, and education to the youth of Baltimore who faces detention facilities. Choice Program’s mission is to help youth change their life by providing them with advocacy and strategies for a better tomorrow. The Choice Program believes that every youth has the courage and potential to be successful whatever the situation they faced in the past. They are devoted to helping youth and letting them be stable for the future by giving them training and mentoring them in community services and salary-based work.
Choice Program’s Website
http://choice-staging.umbc.edu is the staging website of the Choice Program at the time. I took this as an opportunity to contribute to their ongoing website development providing them detailed recommendations through this usability report. The purpose of the website is to act as a medium of information for potential volunteers and donors. The website also shares information on the Choice program’s past activities, its impact on the community, and staff members' information.
http://choice-staging.umbc.edu is the staging website of the Choice Program at the time. I took this as an opportunity to contribute to their ongoing website development providing them detailed recommendations through this usability report. The purpose of the website is to act as a medium of information for potential volunteers and donors. The website also shares information on the Choice program’s past activities, its impact on the community, and staff members' information.
Choice Program Usability Report
The usability report underwent multiple usability tests by aggregating all the findings and gave recommendations for the http://choice-staging.umbc.eduu website of the Choice Program. Documentation of the tests was done by taking notes on paper and by audio recording at least 2 participants in each evaluation process and one client. The session captured each participant’s thoughts, task completion intuitiveness, comments, overall satisfaction ratings, questions, and feedback.
My Role
My role was to analyze the existing website information architecture, content strategy, and design to recommend user experience improvements with the help of mixed research methods and following UX best practice guidelines. The process required Discovery, Evaluation, Design, and Recommendations with multiple iterations.
I have leveraged research methods like user interviews, contextual inquiries, heuristic evaluations, and competitive analysis to find qualitative and quantitive data and provide recommendations based on the findings.
Customer Insights &
Process
I used multiple research methods to find problems while also including users in the design process to get insights from them about improvements and recommendations
I used multiple research methods to find problems while also including users in the design process to get insights from them about improvements and recommendations
Experience Strategy & Coordination
I created low-fidelity and med-fidelity prototypes to convey the design strategy to the users and clients. The ultimate goal was to provide recommendations to the staging website and build a report that can be used in future.
I created low-fidelity and med-fidelity prototypes to convey the design strategy to the users and clients. The ultimate goal was to provide recommendations to the staging website and build a report that can be used in future.
Documentation &
Reporting
I documented every stage of research to gain the trust of the users and clients. Documentation also helped in knowledge persuasion, collaboration, transparency, and future iterations.
I documented every stage of research to gain the trust of the users and clients. Documentation also helped in knowledge persuasion, collaboration, transparency, and future iterations.
The Challenge
— IMPORTANCE OF USER RESEARCH
The purpose of this study was to address the goal of the client for this website which is to act as a medium of information for potential volunteers and donors. The staging website was ready to be deployed but the stakeholders wanted to test the usability of the website before making it available online.
The website was not tested before for any type of issues, so it was an opportunity to provide recommendations based on the research data. The idea was not to hand off redesign or improvements to the website but to make sure I find any minor and major issues with the staging website based on real user feedback and expert reviews.
The Approach
— TEST, DOCUMENT & PRESENT
I followed a standard UX design practice and guidelines from an already established research-oriented design procedure. The process includes Discovery, Evaluation, Designing, and Recommendations with an iterative approach to it. The analysis started with domain research of the choice website and some other competitors' websites, user interviews, and contextual inquiries. The research is then followed by designing personas, mood boards, and user stories to know more about the users, their tasks, and their environment. The website was then tested for heuristic guidelines by usability experts followed by some usability testing methods to extract qualitative data from the study. The next steps included providing recommendations by designing low-fidelity paper prototypes including users in the design phase as participatory design and iteratively repeating the design and testing phase to deliver noticeable results and high-fidelity prototypes.
Below were the research methodologies used for evaluating the Choice program website:
Competitive Analysis
Contextual Inquiry
Client and User Interviews
Task Analysis
Personas
Heuristic Evaluation
Participatory Design
Think Aloud
Eye Tracking
User Testing
Documentation
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevented knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation served as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helped to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enabled research replication, which was essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhanced transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allowed for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
The Discovery
Several methods were used for the Usability analysis of The Choice programs at UMBC website. This section includes the findings of each of the methods used and the detailed scripts can be found here on the full report.
Competitive Analysis
What is Competitive Analysis?
Competitive Analysis is a method of usability evaluation where the website is compared with similar types of organizational websites finding the strength and weaknesses between the sites. In this scenario, compare the Choice Program’s website with 5 other websites to get an idea and exposure to how things can be made better.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
How Competitive Analysis was conducted
I did an informal interview with the Choice Programs-IT Manager initially to discuss more about the mission of the Choice, the objective of the website, usability issues with the website, and some other overall issues. 5 Similar websites were found on Google on the basis of the organizations with the same mission ie. related to providing strength to youth. The evaluation is done on the strength of the other websites in comparison to the Choice website mostly from Norman’s Design Principles and general observation of the usability engineer.
The two websites with similar missions are (see the full report and details here):
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
International Youth Foundation: iyfnet.org
The International youth foundation is also empowering youth by giving them training and providing them with skills and platforms combined with technical, vocational, and entrepreneurship training.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Findings from the website:
Visibility: Images are very well managed in grids with links to them and very informative on the home page itself. In interactive content, when the cursor points anywhere it responds quickly. The dropdown is structured and properly with much of the site information and donate button on it.
Consistency: Every page and navigation is consistent and updated. The responsive website functions very well on any device and the look and feel of the website is good.
Speak user’s language: Link and terms like ‘Where we work’, and ‘What we do’ in the upper navigation makes it easy for the user to understand and connect.
Visibility: Images are very well managed in grids with links to them and very informative on the home page itself. In interactive content, when the cursor points anywhere it responds quickly. The dropdown is structured and properly with much of the site information and donate button on it.
Consistency: Every page and navigation is consistent and updated. The responsive website functions very well on any device and the look and feel of the website is good.
Speak user’s language: Link and terms like ‘Where we work’, and ‘What we do’ in the upper navigation makes it easy for the user to understand and connect.
CARE: care.org
CARE.org helps fight poverty in different countries all over the globe. The website is very well organized with meaningful content, every detail of the website is cherished and it follows maximum usability principles.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Findings from the website:
Visibility: Impactful images and colors are used all over the website, the homepage itself gives a lot of information without going or scrolling anywhere.
Exits: Breadcrumb navigation is used for clearly marked exits and quick donation buttons.
Help and Documentation: The search menu on top of the page, and FAQ section makes it easier for the user to search any keyword on the page.
Minimize user memory load: Point-to-point contents, contents with icons with impact numbers, and less explanation which reduces the visitors' memory load.
Visibility: Impactful images and colors are used all over the website, the homepage itself gives a lot of information without going or scrolling anywhere.
Exits: Breadcrumb navigation is used for clearly marked exits and quick donation buttons.
Help and Documentation: The search menu on top of the page, and FAQ section makes it easier for the user to search any keyword on the page.
Minimize user memory load: Point-to-point contents, contents with icons with impact numbers, and less explanation which reduces the visitors' memory load.
Visibility: Impactful images and colors are used all over the website, the homepage itself gives a lot of information without going or scrolling anywhere.
Exits: Breadcrumb navigation is used for clearly marked exits and quick donation buttons.
Help and Documentation: The search menu on top of the page, and FAQ section makes it easier for the user to search any keyword on the page.
Minimize user memory load: Point-to-point contents, contents with icons with impact numbers, and less explanation which reduces the visitors' memory load.
Contextual Inquiry
What is Contextual Inquiry?
Contextual Inquiry is a semi-structured method of interview asking participants to set off questions and let them perform any task in their natural environment. Because of the natural environment, the data collected from the contextual inquiry is supposed to be more realistic and the process is performed at the beginning of the design phase to get some rich data.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
How Contextual Inquiries were conducted
Contextual Inquiry required two users/participants for the task and the evaluator to observe the users navigating through the Choice Program website. The participants had never used the site before as the website is still staging website. One of the participants has knowledge of Non-profit websites from previous experience.
At the beginning of the observation, a script was explained by me and followed by the participants. Conversations before the study are at a minimum to remove any bias about the website or human behavior.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
User Interviews
How Interviews were conducted
Interviews were conducted with the client and the potential users of the website. The client is the IT manager of the Choice Program and is responsible for the maintenance of the website. The potential users are selected on the basis of their status as one is a student in the Baltimore area and qualifies for potential volunteering for Choice and the other is an IT professional who qualifies as a potential donor.
A script was followed by the usability engineer to ask questions to the client and participants. Tasks were given to the participants to explore the website according to the script. The client’s demographics and findings are in Table 2 and the demographics, and findings from the participants are in Table 3 below:
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Task Analysis
What is a Task Analysis
Task Analysis is a process to understand users while they perform some actions on the system. Task analysis helps in determining the behavior of the users and helps refine the search or navigation by defining the appropriate content scope.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
How Task analysis were conducted
After interviewing the client about the Choice mission (i.e. to empower Baltimore youth) and their website goal (i.e. to provide information to potential volunteers and potential users) I analyzed the data and interviewed Potential users of the website. After analyzing all the data from Client and User interviews, Task analysis was designed which then involves User, Environment, and Task Analysis (Hierarchical Task Analysis) The three methods are as follows:
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
User Analysis
From the client interview and information provided on the Choice Program website http://choice-staging.umbc.edu, potential user analysis was done to identify potential users as Volunteers, Donors, and Stakeholders.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Environment Analysis
The client also talked about the environment in which the website gets surfed according to their previous experience which was almost in every platform including desktops and mobile interfaces.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Task Analysis
Task analysis was done using the Hierarchical Task analysis technique and the purpose of this task analysis technique is to break the tasks into subgroups so that every navigation is clear and visible and to find the loopholes for any task in the website which can’t be done or performed for any reason. The tree structure with tasks and subtasks clears the ideation of how every single operation is performed and whether the goal is reached or not.
Tasks were designed after the potential user interviews, where I determined the important tasks the potential users might want to perform. The notes from the Interview also clarify where the users navigate to complete their goal on the Choice website whether they are potential volunteers or donors.
Following are some of the tasks that were analyzed in the task analysis:
1. Learn about the choice program.
2. See how to apply.
3. See the donation process.
4. Apply for participation/ employment.
5. See what Choice Program has already done.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Personas
How Personas were made
Data gathered from Client/User interviews and other methods helped me to develop an understanding of the potential users of the website. The data like demographics, behaviors, and personalities were analyzed in making the personas. As a fictional character, dummy images and names were created by the usability engineer to cover the scope of every potential volunteer and donor. The personalities of both the website users were very different for example volunteers were more extrovert, more perceiving and they also think more compared to the donors.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
The Analysis
Based on all the Research and documentation, a thorough data analysis was done to triangulate all the problems and issues with the interaction and overall website. An affinity diagram was then used to collect and concise large amount of data at one place.
How Affinity diagram was made
Affinity diagrams were done after the last research method heuristic evaluations were completed. The purpose of the Affinity Diagram was to triangulate all the problems and issues in the website with the findings from all the previous methods. This is done with the help of an online tool Pinup https://pinup.com which helped me triangulate data to find the problems found on research methods.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
The problems aggregated from affinity diagram were discussed in the table below:
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
Collecting the right data and documentation from all the research methodologies was a very crucial step to success in this project, it ensured that research efforts are well-documented, accessible, and impactful in informing design decisions and creating positive user experiences.
Following were the benefits I presumed and validated against the time and resources research and data gathering took for the project:
Knowledge Preservation: Documentation ensured that valuable insights, findings, and learnings from UX research are captured and preserved for future reference. It prevents knowledge loss that can occur when researchers or team members transition out of a project or organization.
Communication and Collaboration: Documentation serves as a means of communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders. It helps to clearly articulate research objectives, methods, and outcomes, making it easier for everyone involved to understand and contribute to the research process. It also facilitates discussions, feedback, and decision-making based on shared information.
Research Replication: Proper documentation enables research replication, which is essential for validating findings and ensuring the reliability of research results. When research methods and procedures are documented accurately, other researchers or team members can follow the same steps to replicate the study and verify its outcomes.
Transparency and Trust: Documentation enhances transparency and builds trust among team members and stakeholders. When research processes and findings are well-documented, it becomes easier to demonstrate the rigor and credibility of the research. Transparency in documenting research methods, limitations, and potential biases helps ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research findings.
Knowledge Transfer and Onboarding: Documentation facilitates knowledge transfer and onboarding of new team members. When research documentation is comprehensive and accessible, it provides a valuable resource for newcomers to quickly grasp previous research insights and get up to speed with ongoing projects. It reduces the time and effort required for new team members to understand the research context and contributes to their effective integration into the team.
Iteration and Improvement: Documentation allows for iterative improvement of research methodologies and processes over time. By documenting research activities, researchers can review and reflect on past research, identify areas for improvement, and refine their methods for future studies. It supports a culture of continuous learning and refinement in UX research practices.
The Solution
— HOW WE GET THERE
Once we had the problems clearly defined, it was time to ideate and select the most important issues to prioritize and solve for them. I used Participatory design and think-aloud with the users to define solutions to usability problems.
Participatory Design: How the 3 most important problems were selected
The 3 problems were selected on the basis of the highest visibility from all the previous methods. The most common findings from the methods shown in the affinity diagram (Figure 7) were mentioned from the top (Table 7) starting with the highest visible problems by the participants, clients, and my own observation. The three problems which are considered in making paper prototyping which was triangulated and have high visibility among all the methods are:
Consistency: Lack of consistency where some pages have banner images and some don’t. The pages with images have different sizes of layouts and are different from each other.
Feedback: No Feedback on any navigation, or links on dropdown.
Consistency: Two pages with the same content/No unique page for “Why Choice” under “Join our team”.
The 3 problems were selected on the basis of the highest visibility from all the previous methods. The most common findings from the methods shown in the affinity diagram (Figure 7) were mentioned from the top (Table 7) starting with the highest visible problems by the participants, clients, and my own observation. The three problems which are considered in making paper prototyping which was triangulated and have high visibility among all the methods are:
Consistency: Lack of consistency where some pages have banner images and some don’t. The pages with images have different sizes of layouts and are different from each other.
Feedback: No Feedback on any navigation, or links on dropdown.
Consistency: Two pages with the same content/No unique page for “Why Choice” under “Join our team”.
How Participatory Designs were conducted
After finding out the 3 problems from previous methods, Participatory design was conducted with one more participant which then involves a brainstorming session with the participant explaining how the participatory design works. I and the participant together came up with 2 solutions for each problem discussed in Table 8.
Think Aloud: How it was conducted
Think aloud was done by the usability engineer with the help of 2 participants thinking aloud during the process of evaluating the paper prototype. The goal is to find one concrete solution from the two solutions already given for each problem in the previous method. The usability engineer filled the same UARs used in Heuristic evaluation for every solution from both the participants and later evaluate the best solution from the two solutions. 9 UARs were recorded for different solutions during this process from two different participants. The solutions for each single problem are then made with a second version of the paper prototype. The solutions are further explained in Table 9 and the paper prototypes are shown in Appendix H.
Medium Fidelity Prototype
After getting evidence from the think-aloud method, 3 medium fidelity of the paper prototype was made from 6 proposed solutions to test it with the next level user testing and eye tracking methods. Some of the paper prototypes are below:
Validation
— USER TESTING & EYE TRACKING
— DESIGNING FOR
DISCOVERY
How User Testing and Eye Tracking were conducted
After making the medium fidelity prototype, a test plan and protocol were tested with 2 pilot users and revised for 4 potential users. Satisfactions were measured with the help of questionnaires designed by usability.gov and then the data from pilot and potential users were aggregated with Eye tracking to recommend the solutions for the two problems evaluated from the previous method. For measuring user satisfaction with the overall interface, a post-questionnaire was adapted from the usabilty.gov website called the System usability scale(SUS) template.
User Testing Data
Findings from the pilot test with 2 users and user test with 4 users data are described in the sections
Eye Tracking
The eye tracking was done in the http://choice-staging.umbc.edu/ website and the task is to read the contents of two different pages where one has the banner image and one does not. The purpose of eye tracking is to measure distractions from the screen when the layout changes when navigating through different pages. The heat map is captured in parts.
Heat Map Part 1: The first heatmap displays the user’s eyes moving through the navigation
Heat Map Part 2: The second heatmap displays the eye-tracking data when the participant navigates the ‘Join Our Team’ page and reads the contents.
Heat Map Part 3: The final heatmap shows the scatter of dots which distracted the participants from reading the contents which was the main task for the participant.
The Imapct
Aggregations
The blue bar is the time taken to complete the task for the website http://choice-staging.umbc.edu/ and the orange bar is the time taken to complete the task in the prototype. The comparison of bars can be easily interpreted as a decrease in the time of navigation when using the prototype with better navigation and layout.
Post Questionnaire Data
According to usability.gov, interpreting data can be complex. So, for the process to calculate the percentage the scale 0-40 (originally) was multiplied by 2.5 to get in on the 0-100 scale. Based on their research, a score above 68 is considered above average and a score less than 68 is considered below average.
As seen in the table, the overall score percentage is 90% from aggregating the data from all the participants which is greater than 68% which reflects the prototype is above average as per the SUS template.
Recommendations
2 problems were turned to medium fidelity prototypes because of the time constraint of a semester but all the recommendations were introduced in best practice by the usability engineer. The data gathering for the 2 solutions is proof that how successful the solutions are. The other recommendations were inspired by the data gathering methods which are triangulated by affinity diagram. The overall recommendations contain complexity ratings and all the different details like problems and violations below :
