We created an interactive map to visually capture and understand commonly used paths of the website

• Identified 13 workflows of the Gale Support Training Center
• Identified redundancies and layout issues

Conducting interviews allowed us to gain first-hand insights and user experiences from the target group

• 6 participants who are Gale site users
• 40 mins semi-structured Zoom interviews
• Analysis was conducted using qualitative affinity wall mapping via interview notes

Interview: affinity map analysis

We came up with a survey to collect more & quantitative data in addition to the qualitative data from the interviews

• A 13-question survey is composed of 3 distinct sections that aim to collect information on:
  1. The user’s background and behaviors
  2. Users’ specific experiences with using Gale Support
  3. Comparisons to other platforms and user suggestions
• Pilot tests were conducted to assess the language and effectiveness of the design
• The survey was not distributed to the target user group due to time constrain of this project

Comparative evaluation helped us learn about the strengths and weaknesses of competitors, and gain inspiration

• Direct Competitors: EBSCO & Nearpod Research Hub
• Indirect Competitors: ProQuest
• Partial Competitors: Britannica Education & McGraw Hill Education
• Analogous Competitors: Newsela
• Parallel Competitors:  Khan Academy Districts

Comparative analysis chart

We utilized Nielsen's heuristic evaluation to identify usability problems

• Our team members individually conducted our heuristic evaluations before coming together to consolidate our findings into a more condensed list of issues to address

Snapshot of heuristic evaluation

Wrapped up the research with usability testing sessions to validate issues that have been identified or uncover problem areas that were not identified in our previous research

• 5 participants who are Gale site users (either teacher, librarian, or both)
• 30 mins Zoom sessions & 3 main tasks to perform
• Pilot tests were conducted in advance to revise the wording of tasks
• Tasks were evaluated based on time on task, success rate, and a system usability score in addition to the participant’s remarks
• The completion rate and averaged time used for participants to complete the tasks were not ideal

Averaged time used and completion rate of each task

#1: Current navigation is unclear to users

Supporting methods: interaction map, interview, comparative and heuristic evaluations, usability test‍

• Unclear and redundant labeling
• Inconsistent naming for navigation items
• Many elements do not appear obviously “clickable” and interactive features are not intuitive

Example: These quick links are not obviously “clickable” or salient enough

💡 Recommendations:

• Streamline title and label consistency throughout the site
• Adding a navigation path and/or back arrow icons to aid users in understanding their journey through various sections or pages
• Increasing visual separation to differentiate selectable headings from static ones will allow users to clearly understand which areas of the site are interactive and potentially useful for their tasks

#2: Overwhelming amount of information on pages

Supporting methods: interaction map, interview, comparative and heuristic evaluations, usability test‍

• “The sheer number of products is overwhelming.” - Interviewee A
• “The amount of links feel a lot.” - Interviewee B
• One participant abandoned the task out of frustration after spending considerable time scrolling - Usability testing

Example : An overwhelming amount of information with no filtering options

💡 Recommendations:

• Categorize content into clearly defined and broad sections from a problem-oriented perspective
• Implement collapsible sections for main categories
• Incorporate more illustrative images

#3: Users seek more efficient and varied methods to search for information

Supporting methods: user interviews, usability testing, comparative analysis‍

• From the user interviews, participants want to access information quickly and efficiently
• “Search is important because teachers don’t have enough time. Faster is better.” - Interviewee C
• Users often overlooked the filtering features on the right side of the page and began scrolling immediately

Example: Users have to scroll through the entire page to search for an item because there is no search bar

Example: Users may take longer to notice the search & filter panel since it’s on the right since most people search top to bottom, left to right

💡 Recommendations:

• Adding a search bar to pages that contain large amounts of information, reducing the need for scrolling
• Align navigation elements (filtering options) in accordance with standard usability practices to enhance search process efficiency
• Categorize content into overarching collapsable sections to limit the amount of information presented to users at one time

Method selection & Expecting the unexpected

Reflecting critically on the methods selected for our user research project, I recognize that while the combination of heuristic evaluation, interviews, and other methodologies offered comprehensive insights, there were inherent limitations to each method that could have impacted our results. Acknowledging these constraints, it's clear that the choice and implementation of methods need to be continually assessed and balanced to suit the evolving context of the research.

Besides, the necessity of preparedness was underscored during our usability tests when unexpected challenges arose. For instance, some participants encountered technical issues that caused interruptions to the testing sessions. This experience highlighted the importance of having contingency plans, such as having backup tasks or alternative testing methods readily available. It also emphasized the need for a flexible mindset to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.

Shout out to my amazing teammates & the client!

Teammate: Anh Dao, Lexi Jack, Aditi Kagalkar, Auri Hudak
Client: Lauren Mathewson